The Fallen Elder (Element Evil III)
by EternityBlue77
Summary: The unity of the team is tested as they awaken from cryo-sleep to find a very different earth and secrets are revealed. I don't own all characters here, it was more or less a canon thing that everyone on dA created. Not rated M... At least for this installment.
1. Chapter 1

Lloyd was trapped inside a world of nightmares that haunted his dreams like a plague. He found himself inside a confined room, four metal walls with no windows. His bed was situated in the corner, a rusted sink that didn't even work sitting directly opposite of him. An iron door was infused to the wall, with no knob on the inside for him to escape.

Even the AC vents provided little-to-no-air in the room.

Lloyd sat upright in the bed, the sheets outlining his form. He wearily rubbed his eyes. Crust had formed on his eyelids.

He swore as a sharp, stinging pain lit up his skin. His arms were covered in blackened, raw burns.

He was wearing a familiar, torn uniform with foreign letterings sprayed on it.

His eyes widened as the realization sank in. "No… I shouldn't be here."

The door swung open, and The General nonchalantly sauntered in, a smoking cigar in his mouth. Four guards followed close behind.

Anger filled Lloyd's thoughts. In one swift motion, he leaped out of the bed, bringing the guards to attention. Lloyd had often spent days alone inside the cell, thinking of nothing but the pain and how he would plan his escape.

And every time, it ended up in failure.

The four guards formed a circle around him. Lloyd fought with all the strength he had mustered up over the days of sitting and regaining his energy. The burns on his arms still made his eyes water, but he ignored it, lashing out with his fists.

One guard struck him in the stomach, sending him doubling over. Another one caught him in the face, prompting him to collapse to the floor. He felt the stone floor as if collided with his cheek, sending splitting pain through it.

The General breathed a sigh, relinquishing smoke from his cigar as Lloyd was dragged back to his bed, his thoughts muddles and disoriented. "Every time you try to escape, it ends up the same way, Lloyd. Just give up already."

Lloyd registered The General's words several seconds late as he felt the ice-cold bite of cuffs against his wrists and the bed post. The metal was tightened on his skin until it turned white.

When the disorientation finally faded, The General was watching him with darkness in his eyes. His face was much younger, and his beret had a lower rank.

Lloyd strained against the shackles. "This isn't supposed to be here."

"You're right, Lloyd," The General smiled. "It's not. But guess what? You're stuck here until I get that loyalty, _and_ that power."

"Fuck you." Lloyd breathed, curling his hands into fists. " _Fuck you!"_

"It's time you learned about sacrifice." The General gestured to his guards to bring someone in.

Lloyd shut his eyes. As if he hadn't already sacrificed enough.

The guards left and returned with someone that looked all too familiar. Lloyd's eyes widened. For a moment, he could've been tempted to think it was…

No, it wasn't.

Etrius stared back at him with a dark scowl on his face. "It was you all along…"

"He deserved to know the truth," The General turned back to Lloyd. "The truth about what _you_ did to Josiah."

"NO!" Lloyd strained against the chains, feeling the urge to break out of them and break The General. "Etrius, don't listen to what he's saying!"

The General walked behind Etrius, but not before he placed a dagger in his hands. Etrius stared down at the dagger, then back at Lloyd. He closed his fingers around it's hilt, then closed the distance between him and Lloyd.

"Etrius, turn around!" Lloyd screamed at him. "I'm not the enemy—The General is! _He_ killed Josiah—"

"Shut up," Etrius said, barely above a whisper. "His death was your fault. You could've stopped it, but you killed him."

Lloyd shook his head slowly. "No. It wasn't like that."

"Shut—" Etrius raised the blade high over his head, preparing to strike Lloyd down. "—Up!"

He brought the dagger down with a swift arc.

Lloyd awoke with a scream.

The casket's lid had slid open, icy mist pouring out. Frost still lingered on his skin, sending him into an immediate phase of hypothermia.

Green eyes stared at him through the mist.

Lloyd stared back at them, taking a moment to realize that he had only been dreaming. _Etrius?_

The eyes blinked, then turned away.

Lloyd's restrains clicked open, freeing him.

He braced his hand on the ice-cold cryo-chamber, balancing himself as he stumbled out. He collapsed to his knees, breathing in real air, not the artificial oxygen inside the chamber.

He stared up, but only white mist clouded his vision. "Etrius?" He tried to call out, but his vocal chords were covered in a layer of frost. Instead, the words came out as a rasped whisper.

The Girl wiped her hand on the next cryo-chamber, seeing a familiar silhouette sleeping within. Acting quickly, she pushed away from the chamber, searching through the mist for controls.

Her hands stumbled through the icy fog before they came in contact with a machine half-frozen underneath layers of ice. She hovered her hands over the machine, closing her emerald eyes and focusing. The ice began to melt away, as if heat resonated from within the machine. Then flames sparked to life, dancing on it's surface. Then it burst into pieces.

Each cryo-chamber in the room slid open, expelling more fog into the room.

The Girl opened the nearest door, breaking off the locked knob. She scoffed. Why would they lock the doors if the chambers were already locked?

She rushed back to Etrius' chamber, breaking away the cuffs.

Etrius' eyes shot open with a gasp. He doubled over, coughing up smoke. His hair was frosted over with white ice. He looked up with bloodshot eyes. "Josiah?" He rasped.

The General stirred, still ensnared by the pipes of ice. He groaned, lingering under the surface of consciousness. He forced his eyes open, seeing the feminine silhouette of a girl through the fog, leaning over a familiar shadow. Etrius.

Overhead, Lloyd was on his knees, trying to make his way through the fog.

Once Etrius registered it was really Josiah the Girl, he threw his arms around her, not caring how much energy was drained from him. "I can't believe it's really you. How—how are you alive? I thought you were—"

"I thought so too," She scratched the back of her hair, which was perfectly—strangely—clean. "I don't know how I ended up here."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Etrius inquired.

Josiah thought for a moment. "Nothing. It's all a blank, empty space."

"How did you find this place?"

"I didn't. All I know is that I woke up in front of this facility, and I found you guys trapped inside here."

Lloyd caught sight of Etrius and Josiah through the fog. His eyes pierced through theirs like knives. "I still can't believe you named her Josiah."

"You named her _what_?" The General coughed.

Etrius scowled at him. "None of your business, old man. Look what your bullshit has just put us through."

Lloyd's eyes slowly widened. "Where's Nox?"

Each of them turned around to face a particular cryo-chamber, whose lid had not slid open.

Etrius swore, forcing himself to his feet. Black tinged his vision, working the edges in, but he fought of away. Lloyd followed him, and they both grabbed either side of the cryo-chamber.

Etrius shouted, "On the count of three—one, two, three!"

With all their strength, they yanked the cryo-chamber lid off it's hinges.

Nox lay inside, her skin a pale porcelain, her hair crystallized, her eyelashes covered in ice. She looked lifeless.

A knot formed in Etrius' throat as he yanked the restrains apart. Josiah felt a touch of nostalgia.

"Nox," Etrius lightly tapped her face. "Nox!"

Nox remained silent, her breath shallow. Etrius held her in his arms, Lloyd helping him pull her out of the cryo-chamber and onto the floor. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Hang on," Josiah made her way into the group. "I can help." Her hands were set alight with a pure silver light, and she hovered them slightly over her form.

Nox's eyes popped open with a jolt. She sat upright, her vision darkening, but she coughed up pieces of ice that made home in her lungs. Her eyes scanned the room, glaring at The General before coming to a stop at Josiah. She blinked several times in confusion, but still couldn't speak.

"I know," Josiah nodded. "You're surprised to see me alive. So am I. Now let's figure out why."

As soon as Nox recovered using her advanced healing abilities, Josiah led the team through the doors.

"Forgetting someone?" The General rasped, then coughed.

"No." Etrius responded with a scowl.

"Etrius, are you insane?" Nox growled at him. "We can't just leave him here. He still has those powers. God knows what he'll do when he's out of our sight."

Etrius considered the options, looking at Nox, Josiah, then back at The General, who returned the look with a scowl.

"…Alright. Nox is right. We need to keep this bastard in our sight." He walks towards him, pointing a finger in warning. "Just remember, you're our prison. _Not_ our comrade. _Never_ our comrade. Not after what you've done."

The General gave a solemn scowl. "Believe me, I want The Three Elders defeated as much as you."

Those words sent Etrius' heart to plummet. Not from his words, but he was just reminded of something. "Josiah, what year is it?" He asked, then slowly turned around to face her.

Josiah frowned, hesitating. "Etrius, I… I don't think you should—"

He closed the distance between then, staring her into silence. "What year is it?" He repeated.

Josiah gulped. "2315. You're in the year 2315."

Nox and Lloyd stared at her in disbelief.

"We've been out for two hundred and fifty years," Lloyd echoed. "That's… No. No, it can't be too late."

Etrius glared at The General with even more hatred than ever before. Anger boiled up inside of him. He pointed at The General. "This is your fault, you sick son of a bitch. _Don't set a waking date,_ " He repeated The General's words from so many years ago, even if they felt like only seconds to him. "You're lucky I'm not tearing you apart alive right now. But believe me, once we're through with this, I'm not finished with you. I swear to God, I will tear you apart _limb from limb_!"

"Etrius! Enough!" Nox extended an arm, releasing The General of his restrains. "We have more important matters to take care of. Like finding out where the hell we are? And what happened to the rest of the team?"

"What if they're dead?" Lloyd cast his gaze to the floor. "They're not here."

"They're not dead," Etrius retorted. "The Wise One granted us immortality. Death isn't an option anymore, remember?"

"Then let's move." Nox said quickly to avoid any more hesitation.

The team made their way outside.

Etrius expected a city to surround them.

Lloyd expected to find themselves underground.

Nox expected the world to explode.

Josiah expected them to stop expecting the unexpected.

Yet more ice flogged into their faces the minute they pushed past the doors. The entire area was covered in snow that blanketed the ground like pure white velvet. Ice darted from the heavens, pricking their skin like needles.

Etrius shivered. Even in his long-sleeve camouflage uniform, the ice bit into his bones like claws. He turned his eyes to the skies, covered in gray clouds. His breath was crystallized into the air. "C'mon." He began to make his way through the snow. "There's got to be some Humvees out here."

"Shouldn't we stay inside?" Nox inquired. "Where it's warm?"

"I'm leading the team here. Besides, we're immortal. It's not gonna kill us."

Nox sighed, her breath vaporizing in the air. "Fine." But she was only going because she didn't want to stay here alone without him, but she didn't mention it aloud.

The rest of the team followed the two.

Etrius' silhouette trudged through the snow overhead. Nox blinked away snow that had formed on her eyelashes, clearing her vision. Her senses picked up something alarming overhead.

With a gasp, she ran to Etrius' side, putting an arm across his chest. He scowled at her. "What the hell?!" He shouted over the screaming winds.

Nox narrowed her eyes at the ground in front of them, concealed by the mist. She passed her hand through it.

Some of the fog cleared away, revealing a dangling cliff. Icicles hung off it's edge.

Etrius' breath was stolen. Nox had saved him from falling into unbearable pain, if not certain death. But he said nothing.

Behind them, The General, Lloyd and Josiah stood watching the scene. Lloyd never removed his glare from The General. Josiah could read his thoughts as if they were written on his face.

"What?" The General finally said after Lloyd glared at him for the fiftieth time. "You think is my fault?"

"It _is_ your fault, old man."

The General rolled his eyes. _When will they stop calling me that?_

Something clicked in Lloyd's brain. "Josiah, go check out the plan with Etrius and Nox." But he didn't remove his eyes from The General.

A frowned performed on her face. "Are you—?"

"I'm sure. Just go."

Josiah scooted away, not wanting to get caught in an argument between Lloyd and The General.

Lloyd's eyes moved from The General, to the cliff, then back to The General. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't get rid you right now."

"Etrius said it himself. You both know you can't afford to have me running lose when The Three Elders are still out there. How do you know I won't join forces with them?"

Lloyd closed the distance between them, causing The General to back away.

"Do you take me as a fool? Before I was put to sleep, I saw what they did to you. Etrius and the others may not have seen it, but I did. I know they'd _never_ join forces with you. There's nothing stopping me."

The General gave a nervous laugh as he glanced back at the edge of the cliff, then at Lloyd. "Lloyd, think about what you're doing."

"As if _you_ ever did. As if _you_ ever gave me the chance."

"Etrius doesn't look so mad about what you did."

"What _you_ did. What _you_ did!" He grabbed him by the collar of his uniform, shoving him back until he was two feet from the edge.

Something clicked together. The General's eyes narrowed. "You never told Etrius. About what really happened." His eyes flicked to the faintest silhouettes of the team through the blizzard. _They can't hear us from here. Now's my chance._

The General seized Lloyd's arm, throwing a sharp uppercut into his jaw. Lloyd stumbled back, momentarily disoriented by the cold and sharp pain.

The General used this to his advantage. He delivered a series of blows, but Lloyd recovered uncannily quick, taking the hits with little damage. He grabbed The General's shoulders, forcing the two of them to the icy ground.

The edge of the cliff grew impedingly near, always a threat through the entire fight.

The General managed to throw Lloyd into the snow, the back of his head dangling off the edge. His ponytail waved in cadence to the wind.

The General wrung his hand around his throat, screaming words at him, but Lloyd could barely hear him over the raging blizzard.

 _Crack!_

The ice rumbled beneath them.

Lloyd's eyes widened.

The section of the cliff they stood on was beginning to break apart from the rest. The edges crumbled.

Lloyd felt gravity die away as their section broke away.

He shut his eyes…

Then they popped open.

They hadn't fallen.

Nox was behind them, extending a hand. Power rolled off it, supporting the ice they stood on.

She brought them towards them, away from the edge. Etrius crossed his arms, glaring at The General with hatred. "I thought we settled this."

The General quickly stood to his feet and brushed himself off, fixing his beret into place. "He attacked me first. I was trying to defend myself."

Josiah shook her head. "Didn't look like it."

"Well let's just keep moving. Nobody's dead, that's what important."

Lloyd scrambled to his feet, breaking heavily in rage with darkness in his eyes as he watched The General continue walking.

He assumed that Lloyd never told Etrius about Josiah's death.

If he didn't act soon, The General might turn the blame around on Lloyd.

Lloyd had to tell him first.

But how could he do that to Etrius?


	2. Chapter 2

Boomer awoke with a jolt to feel ice-cold restrains on his wrists and ankles.

When the disorientation finally fainted, he realized he was in some sort of chamber.

The walls closed in on him like a tomb.

He could barely breathe.

His breath vaporized in the air.

Giving a groan, he strained against the restrains, and they snapped under the pressure.

Boomer placed both hands on the fogged window in front of him, wiping away the mist. He saw another chamber in front of his, with someone's silhouette behind the glass. His eyes widened, and he whispered, "Nox."

With a burst of strength, he drove his knuckles into the chamber's door. The edges creased open, fissures of misty spraying out.

With another punch, the door banged open.

After blasting his way out of there, he leaped onto the floor, still feeling the chill in his bones. He shut his eyes, trying to get his bearings.

The chamber stood right in front of him.

Acting quickly, he grabbed both edges of it, grinding his teeth and pulling. The door pried open.

He flung it to the side, hunching over the cold ground and panting.

A familiar man with close cropped black hair was trapped inside.

Boomer's eyes widened. "Beecher." He snapped the restrains apart, grabbing Beecher before he could fall forward.

Beecher's skin was surrounded in ice, his skin paled beyond recognition. Boomer laid him carefully on the cold floor, stiff as stone. He uttered as many swear words as he knew under his breath.

He whipped his head around, searching for anything that could help him. A silhouette was propped against the wall, but too much ice encased it's body for him to make out who it was. A second body lay sprawled on the floor, a shard of Obsidian sitting before him, barely touched by the ice.

Boomer glanced up at the AC vents.

Shivering, he stood to his feet, his limbs stiff. He reached the control system, his eyes searching for a temperature gauge. He couldn't even feel the cold metal beneath his fingers, which had turned black and blue.

He found a meter that labeled a temperature of -80 degrees. He gradually raised the temperature to a warmer 85 degrees.

It took several minutes, but the ice in the small, confined room began to melt away into liquid. Beecher began to breathe again.

Boomer kneeled by his side, watching his red eyes blink languidly, the ice breaking away from them. When the frost cleared away, Boomer noticed he grew a stubble with hints of graying hair. But he didn't age.

Beecher was disoriented for a minute before his eyes locked with Boomer's, slightly squinting at the influx of light. The first thing he said was, "How the hell did you grow a beard?"

Boomer's hand went to his chin, where he felt the rough bristle of his blond beard. He noticed his hair was double it's length, reaching just past his shoulders and ending in curls. It was slick with water.

But facial hair was the last thing Boomer was worried about. "Where the fuck are we?"

A groan resounded from behind them.

The silhouette was bracing it's hands against the ground, the ice breaking away. Pieces still remained on his body and face, but Boomer could finally make out who it was.

The Wise One collapsed back onto the floor, feeling bile rise in his stomach. His eyes travelled to the Obsidian Shard before him.

Boomer swore, rising to his feet. He snatched the Obsidian Shard, keeping it as far away from him as he could. His eyes raked the room, searching for a window or door he could throw it out of.

He found an iron door embedded into the wall, it's gaps still filled with ice. There was on time to wait for it to melt.

Bringing his foot up, he drove his boot into the door. It slightly creaked under the impact. He tried again, and the ice began to shatter.

Bracing himself, Boomer backed up a few feet, then rammed his shoulder into the door.

It burst from it's hinges under the impact.

Not wasting another second, he hurled the Obsidian Shard as far into the dark hallway as he could until it vanished into the shadows.

He picked up the fallen door and fit it back into place to keep any reminiscences of it out.

The Wise One slowly regained his strength until he could rise to his knees. He ground his teeth and shut his eyes against the pressure all around him.

Movement shifted in the corner.

Boomer and Beecher whipped their heads around to see a familiar figure with gray hair and specks, chained to a pipe of frost. Ice began to break away from his skin like an egg shell.

Boomer dragged his feet across the room, kneeling in front of the doctor. He grabbed the cuffs and snapped them apart with little strength.

Romanov looked down at his scarred hands, his breath vaporizing in the air. His glasses her fogged over as he glanced up at Boomer.

Boomer pointed to the control system. "Think you can figure out where the hell we are?"

It took Romanov a moment to decipher his words, but he gave a dull, emotionless nod, shakily rising to his feet.

While Romanov worked on the system, Boomer and Beecher surrounded The Wise One as he slowly recovered.

"Anyone remember what happened?" Beecher inquired, his voice edgier than usual, gruffer.

"Yeah," Boomer breathed, pieces of recollections running through his mind. "The General locked us in here. If I remember correctly, I think I saw his superiors come in, and lock him in here too."

Beecher's eyes narrowed as he took this information in, and they scanned the room. "Then where is everybody?"

"No, no," Romanov mumbled, his eyes raking the system. "This can't be right…"

"Something wrong, crackpot?" Boomer said.

Romanov leaned back from the computer screen, his brow furrowed in confusion. "The computer's data and information sets are dated wrongly."

"Huh?"

Romanov sighed. "This little doo-hickey," He pointed at the computer's screen, where the date showed. "Says that we're 250 years in the future."

"2315?" Beecher echoed. "That—That's not possible."

"It's very possible," The Wise One rasped, his eyes slightly set aglow. "All this time we've been trapped in ice, but I've been fully aware of the changing days. All the passing years I spent having to deal with sitting in a room and no strength at all."

Beecher's eyes widened. "You've been trapped in a room with Obsidian for 2250 years? How the hell are you—?"

"My blood is immortal, remember?"

"Well, we've got bigger things to worry about now," Boomer ground his teeth, missing the usual presence of his shotgun. "Over two hundred years have passed since the Three Elders took control over the earth. What the hell happened during those 250 years? And where the hell is the rest of the team?" His mind travelled to Nox, and worries clouded his thoughts.

"We've been separated from the other Descendants many years ago," The Wise One answered for him. "I remember those same mortals came back and moved the other chambers somewhere else."

Beecher's blood boiled. "And you didn't stop them?!"

"May I remind you," The Wise One spoke between his teeth, "who's been suffering in pain for three hundred years!"

" _May I remind you_ ," Beecher spat back, "That Mankind has already fallen three hundred years ago!"

"ENOUGH!" Romanov shouted, his voice ringing through the room. Immediately, everybody shut their mouths and stared at Romanov with new eyes. Nobody's seen him raise his voice from the feeble level he always used.

Romanov took a sharp breath, frost crystalizing on his mustache, barely noticeable on the white strands of hair. "Who woke up first?"

Boomer opened his mouth, trying to find words through the shock. "I—I did."

"Do you know how?"

Boomer frowned. "No. All I remember is waking up inside the chamber, and I woke everyone else up."

Romanov's eyes scanned the computer again. "Well, there doesn't seem to be a malfunction in the system. But Boomer's ice has melted using the system's waking regulations."

"Meaning…?"

Romanov shut his eyes, regaining his patience. He locked glares with Boomer again. "Somebody unlocked your chamber. But whoever did it, is gone now."

"Can you find our location?"

Romanov turned back to the computer, hitting several buttons. "California."

"Well look at that, we've still got one of our states," Beecher spat sarcastically.

Romanov shook his head again. "Not according to the recent laws. There are no more state names. There are no more countries. Everything on Earth is… united."

"Think it's the Three Elders' doing?" Boomer guessed.

"I do not have a doubt." The Wise One sighed, then rose to his feet. "Let's get out of here."

The team made their way to the busted door, and Boomer slightly creaked it open. It collided to the floor with a loud _THUD._

The Wise One felt bile rise in his throat. He backed away from the open doorway, putting a hand over his mouth as if there were a bad stench in the air.

Something clicked in Boomer's mind. He dragged his hand down his face. "The Obsidian Shard! Hang on, I'll get it out of here."

Boomer and the team walked outside to see a raging blizzard. Boomer closed his hand over the Obsidian Shard, then hurled it as far away into the mist as he could.

The Wise One followed close behind, feeling the effects ebbing away.

Boomer turned his head to the gray skies, which looked so familiar, yet so foreign from the one he was used to living under. He turned back to Romanov. "Where did you say our location was, again?"

"Colorado," Romanov repeated. "Or at least, it used to be. We're only one state away from the base… if it's still there."

"Then there's no time to waste," Beecher's eyes scanned the breadth of the abandoned facility's exterior, seeing a garage overhead. "Let's find some supplies and get out of here while we still can."

Shivering, they made their way to the garage, finding the door locked.

Beecher grimaced. "If Etrius were here, we wouldn't have these problems."

"Well I'm here, so let's make the best we can." He rammed his shoulder against the garage door, forcing it to flip open. He left a dent in it's exterior.

Boomer ground his teeth, feeling the ache in his shoulder. "I used to do that without effort."

"You've been asleep in ice for over two centuries, Descendant," The Wise One spoke up, his hair wafting in cadence to the blizzard wind. "You're all still recovering. Give yourselves time."

"Time I something we don't have." Beecher pushed past the flipped garage door, making his way inside. "And don't call us Descendants."

The entire room was coated in a thick layer of dust, cobwebs making home in every corner. The team walked inside, the cold still presence through the walls, but this was like reprieve from the harsh winter outside.

A Humvee sat in the center of the garage, and pistols lined the walls. Boomer armed himself with two, one in each pocket, and supplied himself with as much ammo as he could carry. He tossed another two to Beecher.

Beecher handed Romanov a pistol.

Romanov's brow furrowed, and he stared at Beecher with confusion.

"You're part of this team too, crackpot. It's time you learned how to fire a gun."

Romanov's eyes widened behind his glasses. "I've never held a gun in my life. You expect me to shoot someone?"

"If you're not prepared, someone will shoot _you_ first."

Grimacing, Romanov took the gun with shaking hands. Beecher pocketed his own weapon and began to train him in clicking the safety switch, aiming and pulling the trigger.

The Wise One watched Boomer as he leaped into the Humvee over the side door, leaning under the dashboard to hotwire the truck.

The sound of cracking gunfire made him jolt. His head thumped against the dashboard. He swore, then sprang up and glared at Beecher, who was teaching Romanov how to fire. "Think you can keep it down? We need to keep a low profile."

"Sure." Beecher answered quickly, yet absentmindedly.

Boomer grumbled, resuming to hotwire the car. "Anyone got a lighter?"

At the mention of a lighter, Beecher immediately stopped his training session, searching his pockets. He produced a cigarette lighter out of his backpocket. "Right here."

Boomer held out his hand, his head concealed by the dashboard. "I need it."

"Wait, let me find a smoke." Beecher searched his pockets for the usual presence of his cigarette pack.

"Beecher! Cigarettes won't work after three hundred years!"

Beecher rolled his eyes. "Like a lighter will work."

"Just give it here."

Grumbling, Beecher tossed the lighter into Boomer's hand, then continued his training session.

While Boomer worked through the wires, The Wise One spoke up. "Do you four always argue like that?"

"It's not arguing." Boomer retorted.

"It's called teamwork." Beecher added.

"Rough teamwork, if I may say so myself." Romanov harrumphed.

"Hand me a screwdriver." Boomer held out his hand again to someone.

The Wise One acted first before anyone could remark, placing a nearby screw driver in his hand.

Boomer peaked out of the dashboard with confusion. "Aren't you an Ancient?"

"Yes."

"And Ancients use screw drivers." Boomer said with a tone of doubt.

"No. I just saw a mental picture in your mind."

"Don't read my mind." Boomer gave each wire one last look before he rose from his position. He jammed the screw driver into the ignition, giving it a clean twist. The Humvee shuddered, then roared to life. Boomer gave a smirk. "Let's go."

He started up the Humvee's computer system, entering their base's coordinates.

The Wise One entered the car after Beecher and Romanov with uncertainty. "How is this going to help us?"

Boomer gave him a confused look before he remembered that technology didn't come from the Wise One's time. "You'll see."

He stomped the gas, speeding the Humvee out into the blizzard.


	3. Chapter 3

(Etrius' Team)

The base was destroyed.

Ruins poked up around the snow, rubble worn down over so many years.

Etrius and the team walked among the rubble with anger and distaste in their eyes. "What happened over the years?" Nox whispered, her voice as low as the winds that had died down, but snow still fell from the heavens.

Lloyd always remained by Etrius' side, making sure The General didn't get near him. "Everyone, spread out. Let's gather whatever's left."

Nox separated herself from the team, searching through the rubble. Several hundred-year-old trees had sprouted in the center of the rubble. The forest was beginning to seep into the base's ruins, wearing away anything that was left.

The team's voices sounded muffled behind her.

Something shifted in her peripheral vision.

She glanced to her left.

Something dark and _alive_ lumbered out of the thicket, its large clawed paws crushing the snow. Covered in thick, oily brown fur, the animal was larger than a dog.

It stopped, jerking its snout up, started by Nox's presence. It's beady red eyes glinted hungrily behind a silvery facial mask. It's eyes glowed an ethereal white.

Grunting, snorting sounds ground low in its throat.

A wolverine.

It stalked her, closing the distance between them, its gait startlingly bear-like.

Nox turned and ran.

She heard the wolverine loping across the snow behind her. In a panic, she tried to glance backward, and slipped.

Icy slush seeped through her rebel uniform. She curled her fingers through the powdery ice, searching for something to pull herself up.

She picked up the first object she felt and stared at it in a stupor. A white bone dented with sharp tooth-marks. With a shriek, she flung it away.

" _Etrius_!" She screamed, hoping someone would hear her. Her powers barely worked, not after being awaken from cryo-sleep again.

 _Slash!_

Lloyd was standing in front of her, his sword dripping blood.

The wolverine's body was severed in half, it's spine protruding outwards. It uttered it's last animalistic, dying sounds before it grew silent.

Lloyd turned to face her with nothing in his eyes. He extended a hand, and Nox took it, pulling herself to her feet. She was breathing heavily.

"Are you alright?" Lloyd inquired, gripping her shoulders.

It took Nox a moment for her to digest the words. She gave a heavy nod, watching the wolverine bleed out red blood, staining the pure snow. It glowed a silvery white. "That thing was mutated."

"I know." Lloyd realized he was still holding Nox's shoulders. He let go, but didn't move. Something sparked in his mind, like a lost memory had begun to make it's home in his thoughts. But when he tried to reach it, it slipped out of his grip like sand, sinking back into an endless ocean.

Nox felt it too. The slightest tinge of nostalgia tugging at her until she resented. She breathed a sigh. "Thanks for… Saving me back there. Let's get back to the others."

Lloyd gave a hesitant nod, and the two made their way back to the team.

"Guys, come check this out!" Etrius voice wafted through the shrilling winds.

The team surrounded him as he kneeled in the snow. A battered stone cross protruded from the white ground. Plisskin's name was etched into the surface. A grave.

Etrius ran his hands down his face. "Three hundred years."

Nox covered her mouth with her hand while The General turned away.

"Bodies don't just bury themselves," Lloyd spoke up. "Somebody else was here after we left."

Something clicked in Nox's mind. "Mullins and Ray. They're the only ones who know— _knew_ about this place."

"You think they were here?" Etrius circled the grave, but froze when he stared at the back of the cross. Something else was etched within. He kneeled down again, wiping off lingering ice from it's rough marble-like surface. Numbers. "Wait a minute…"

"Found something?" Lloyd and Nox kneeled beside him.

"They look like coordinates."

"Yeah, but coordinates to where?"

"Let's find out." Nox imprinted the numbers in her memory and made her way to the Humvee's computer, entering them in. "It's around here." She spoke up, her eyes scanning the length of the ruins. "Check the West Wing. Or… where it used to be."

The team made their way to the west corner of the clearing, searching through different sections of the rubble.

After a while, Etrius shouted through the wind. "I think I found something!"

Nox made his way to his side as he was uncovering something from the snow. An iron box that was a strain to pick up, even for Etrius. He set it down in the ice, wiping off ice from it's surface. Even more symbols were etched into it's surface.

Lloyd made his way to the team while The General lingered behind them.

Lloyd studied the symbols. "Looks like Morse Code."

"No shit, Sherlock." Nox waved her hand over a clearing of snow, creating a wall of thin purple light. "Can anyone decipher it?"

"I can." The General spoke up, and all eyes turned to him.

Josiah raised a brow in inquiry. "Let me guess, you learned it while fighting the Civil War in your earlier years?"

Nox giggled.

The General rolled his eyes. "I'm not that old, kid."

Josiah scowled. "I still have to tell you guys not to call me kid?"

The General kneeled down beside the wall of light and began to write letterings as he interpreted them on the iron box.

"And we're just going to trust him?" Lloyd said between his teeth.

"I want to get this shit sorted out just as much as you do, Lloyd." The General stepped away from the wall of letterings. "There."

The team read through the message.

 _By the time you read this, everyone will be released from Cryo. We've been spying on the Three Elders ever since your disappearance, and ever since they've started overthrowing empires. We know what's happening. Below are the coordinates to find us. You're not the only bastards who've been sleeping._

 _We're sorry about what happened to Plisskin._

 _134-222-489-986_

Etrius' eyes widened. "They're alive."

"Why would they trap themselves in cryo-sleep?" Lloyd inquired, narrowing his glare.

"They said the Three Elders have been overthrowing empires," Nox said. "They knew they couldn't do this alone, so they went to sleep along with us to join forces in the future."

Etrius shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense." He glared at The General. "Are you sure you translated that correctly?"

"Don't test my capabilities."

"Well, they didn't give us enough information here," Nox took in the new coordinates and rose to enter them into the Humvee's computer. "But they obviously know a lot about the Three Elders. Looks like we'll have to wake them up ask."


	4. Chapter 4

(Etrius' team)

The team sauntered through the shadows of the city, remaining out of sight. This was exactly where the coordinates were leading them, but they had to park the Humvee in the outskirts of the forest. While the city was mindlessly busy, Etrius' team was travelling through the underground abandoned subways.

The team walked to the next subway exit, sloping up towards the surface.

"That must be it." Etrius stopped when he saw a towering, almost castle-like building protruding into the sky in the center of the city. It's outer walls covered in black stone, white light emanated from the archway windows.

An evil, threatening, daring aura surrounded it.

"I'm going in," Etrius announced in a hushed tone. "The rest of you, stay here."

"Are you kidding?" Josiah chucked. "There's no way you're going in there without me."

"And risk losing you again?" Etrius' olive green eyes burned into hers. "I don't think so. This is an infiltration mission. If I bring too many people inside, it will blow our cover. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? I'm immortal."

"So am I," Josiah retorted. "Or—at least, I think I still am. But what do you have? Immortality. That's it. They could do so much worse to you. I have powers that could get us in and out of there in one piece."

"Nox can—"

Nox shook her head, her hair soaking wet from the lingering snow in the air. "I may have been awakened from cryo-sleep for the second time, but my powers are still too weak for combat. I need more time to recover."

"And time is something we don't have," Josiah stared at him firmly. "I'm going with you."

Etrius crossed his arms, his nostrils flaring. "Fine. But I don't want to see anyone crying to me if this plan fails. We're going in, finding Ray and Mullins, and getting back out."

Each team member returned Etrius' salute except for The General, who stood with am ambient posture. He wasn't used to showing recognition to someone below his rank.

Once Etrius and Josiah departed, Nox was left with The General and Lloyd in the subway. The General and Lloyd disappeared into another alleyway, leaving Nox to guard the entrance.

But what was there to guard?

Something was going on between those two, and they were keeping the team shut out in the dark.

Nox's powers were still weak in reading minds, but she knew one thing.

It had something to do with Josiah.

Quietly, Nox made her way into the underground rural hallways, lined with decaying white walls. She heard hushed voices speaking behind an old, abandoned train. It's tracks had rusted to the point that the train had toppled over on it's side.

Nox hid behind one of the large, rusted wheels, barely seeing The General and Lloyd on the opposite end.

"I can see you're running from the past, Lloyd. You have to face your consequences." It was The General.

Lloyd hissed back in a tone that Nox had rarely see him use. " _My_ consequences? _You're_ the one who had me in chains for a whole year. _You're_ the one who caused both me and Etrius so much pain. _You're_ the one who killed him!"

Nox's blood turned to ice as she kept herself hidden from sight. What was Lloyd talking about? He almost never let anybody in on his past—how could he be talking about this with The General?

"Don't turn everything around on me, Lloyd." The General snarled. "I gave you a choice to either follow orders and neutralize the target, or run away and end up in your cell again. Your decision is what brought you here."

" _Go to hell._ " Lloyd growled with as much malice he could summon.

"I think you don't want me on this team."

"You _think_?"

"So I'm going to give you a warning," The General shoved him against the surface of the overturned rusted train, making it shudder and echo within. " _Don't_ get in my way."

"What the hell do you think you're planning? The Three Elders are ruling Earth. There's nothing more for you to do here."

"Believe me, Lloyd," His eyes pierced into his like knives. "I'm capable of _so_ much more."

Lloyd remained silent.

"I'll give you a second chance. So don't screw it up like last time, need I remind you. If I see you interfere with my plan once more… This time, Etrius will pay the price. Do I make myself clear?"

Lloyd didn't say a word, but he responded with a heavy nod.

The General smiled. "Good." And he turned and left.

Nox heard his footsteps coming long before she hid herself from sight in an alcove. She saw The General's silhouette move past before she made her way back to where Lloyd was.

He was sitting on the floor, his knees drawn up, head buried in his hands. He looked destroyed.

Nox closed the distance between them, her heart hammering. "Lloyd?"

"You heard everything, didn't you?" He didn't meet her gaze.

Nox blinked. "What are you—?"

"Don't bullshit me, Nox. I knew you were hiding behind the train the whole conversation."

Nox sighed, giving up. "That didn't sound much like a _conversation_." She narrowed her eyes, kneeling by Lloyd. "What was that bastard talking about?"

Lloyd finally raised his head, red and weary eyes watching hers. "I doubt The General knew you were eavesdropping. If I tell you, you have to swear you won't tell another living soul."

Nox crossed her arms. "You're not the only one with secrets around here."

Lloyd's eyes darted around the subway to make sure The General was truly gone. With weariness in his eyes, he confessed.

Left with more anger in her heart than shock, Nox crossed her arms. "I can relate."

Lloyd laughed, shocking Nox slightly again. "Can you?"

A muscle in Nox's mouth twitched. "My parents were separated from me and executed for treason. I've spent seventeen years trying to harness and hide this power, only for me to get captured in the end, sent into cryo-sleep for fifty years, awoke to find my life torn to pieces and nearly destroyed the Earth. So, yes. I can relate."

Lloyd sighed, burying his face in his arms again. "I'm sorry. But I'm in deep shit right now. Now that The General is on the team, he has the power to tell Etrius the truth whenever he wants."

Nox's hand found his. "We won't let that happen."

Lloyd's brows creased together. "We?"

"You said it yourself. The General doesn't know that I know. I'll keep an eye on that bastard," Nox folded her arms around his shoulders, helpless at the fact that he'd been through so much, and there was nothing she could do to change the past. "This'll all work out."

Lloyd sighed, his thumb stroking the inside of her wrist. "I hope it does."

Something tugged at Lloyd's heart, lightening his instincts. The General had fucked up everything Lloyd had ever known, and he was the same man who destroyed Nox's life, and nearly used her powers to destroy the Earth.

Lloyd wasn't going to let him lay another finger on her.

Etrius and Josiah neared a cave that was dug on the opposite side of the building. Lights lined the side of the concrete cave, and trucks were parked along the edges of an electrical barbed wire fence.

"Think you can get a cloaking device over us?" Etrius inquired.

Josiah stared at him. "Huh?"

Etrius shook his head. "I mean—a shield."

Josiah scoffed, summoning a shield around the two of them. "What do you think this is? Harry Potter?"

"Harry— _what_?"

"…Never mind."

Sticking to the shadows, the team made their way inside the cave. Etrius didn't have any trouble disabling the security camera wires in the electrical box situated near the entrance before they proceeded inside.

Etrius and Josiah stuck to the upper catwalk railings, glancing down below for any sign of... something. They didn't even know what to look for.

"Look," Josiah whispered, pointing down below as a group of soldiers who were carrying two black chambers. The soldiers behind them carried oxygen and hydrogen tanks, connected to the chambers by wires. The names _Sgt. Mullins_ and _Private Ray Williams_ were etched into the iron surfaces. "That must be it."

Etrius' eyes widened, then narrowed. "Let's do this."

In one swift motion, Josiah let the shield sink into the ground. They hurled themselves from the catwalk railing, catching the guards by surprise. Etrius didn't have much trouble snapping necks while taking bullets with little damage. Josiah threw up shields around herself, simultaneously knocking guards out with bursts of power.

In minutes, unmoving bodies lay around Etrius and Josiah. The chambers had been dropped to the floor, and oxygen leaked from the broken tubes.

Etrius swore. "Shit, let's get them out of there."

Etrius grabbed Ray's tank while Josiah grabbed Mullins'. They ripped off the doors with brute strength.

The chambers were empty.

Etrius dropped the iron lid, letting the realization sink in. "It's a trap."

The floor broke away beneath him, casting his mind into darkness.

Even before Etrius opened his eyes, he knew he was in deep shit.

His wrists were locked in chains. Two people were dragging him across marble floors by his arms. His ribcage ached.

He blinked languidly. A dim flicker of sleep remained, threatening to tug his mind back into unconsciousness, but he forced his eyes open.

Velvet black tapestries draped off archway windows. Snow had collected on the window sill outside, glimmering in the dim sunlight. Stone columns supported the arced ceiling above.

The air smelled of blood and decay. His stomach turned.

Whispered faded in and out from the shadows, speaking in a language Etrius had never heard before.

Where was Josiah?

The guards who were dragging him suddenly halted. They spoke in a foreign tongue before letting Etrius drop.

His arms hit the floor roughly. He groaned, not enough energy in his system to protest.

"Quick work." A familiar, aged raspy voice spoke.

Etrius' eyes flicked up to see the Three Elders seated in their gold thrones. The Presence, The Darkness, and The Pestilence. The Pestilence was the only female in the group.

"Where… Are… They…?" Etrius breathed, a dim cloud darkening his vision.

The Pestilence frowned. "Who?" Her voice was surprisingly soft and light. "Ah. Your comrades. I'm sorry to say, they aren't here right now."

Etrius stared at her with ground teeth.

She spoke again in an even softer tone. "I did enjoy hearing their final screams as we slit their throats."

Etrius' eyes widened. "You're lying."

She giggled. "Am I?"

Footsteps resounded from behind Etrius. Josiah emerged into his peripheral vision, arms crossed, her eyes staring lifelessly ahead.

"Josiah?" He rasped.

"Don't try reaching to her," The Darkness growled, his voice deep and low like a bear. "We have her mind in our grip. There's nothing you can do to bring her back."

Etrius' heart hammered. "I don't understand."

"Do you honestly believe that child was just awoken from the dead, and conveniently found her way to you and your team?" The Presence quipped. "And those comrades of yours left a message stating they were asleep? I still can't believe you fell for that trap. Nonetheless, it was the perfect way to gather you all. And we have the child to thank for it."

Etrius let all this information sink in. Then, he turned to Josiah. "Hey."

Josiah met his stare with nothing in her eyes.

"Josiah. He called you kid."

Josiah's face softened for a fleeting moment, but as soon as it arrived, it was gone. She crossed her arms again, then stood by the Three Elders' side.

The Presence leaned forward in his throne, his eyes watching Etrius'. "Where are the others?"

Etrius remained silent.

A muscle in the Presence's jaw twitched. "Don't make me repeat myself. You know where they are. Just tell us, and make this easy on yourselves."

Etrius shut his eyes, preparing for the worst.

"Very well." The Presence rose from his throne, walking behind Josiah. He produced a jagged dagger from his belt, then held it against her throat. "This is no ordinary dagger. I'm sure you're aware of enchantments. One cut in her skin, and it's over for her. So, what will be, Human?"


	5. Chapter 5

(Etrius' team)

The team sauntered through the shadows of the city, remaining out of sight. This was exactly where the coordinates were leading them, but they had to park the Humvee in the outskirts of the forest. While the city was mindlessly busy, Etrius' team was travelling through the underground abandoned subways.

The team walked to the next subway exit, sloping up towards the surface.

"That must be it." Etrius stopped when he saw a towering, almost castle-like building protruding into the sky in the center of the city. It's outer walls covered in black stone, white light emanated from the archway windows.

An evil, threatening, daring aura surrounded it.

"I'm going in," Etrius announced in a hushed tone. "The rest of you, stay here."

"Are you kidding?" Josiah chucked. "There's no way you're going in there without me."

"And risk losing you again?" Etrius' olive green eyes burned into hers. "I don't think so. This is an infiltration mission. If I bring too many people inside, it will blow our cover. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? I'm immortal."

"So am I," Josiah retorted. "Or—at least, I think I still am. But what do you have? Immortality. That's it. They could do so much worse to you. I have powers that could get us in and out of there in one piece."

"Nox can—"

Nox shook her head, her hair soaking wet from the lingering snow in the air. "I may have been awakened from cryo-sleep for the second time, but my powers are still too weak for combat. I need more time to recover."

"And time is something we don't have," Josiah stared at him firmly. "I'm going with you."

Etrius crossed his arms, his nostrils flaring. "Fine. But I don't want to see anyone crying to me if this plan fails. We're going in, finding Ray and Mullins, and getting back out."

Each team member returned Etrius' salute except for The General, who stood with am ambient posture. He wasn't used to showing recognition to someone below his rank.

Once Etrius and Josiah departed, Nox was left with The General and Lloyd in the subway. The General and Lloyd disappeared into another alleyway, leaving Nox to guard the entrance.

But what was there to guard?

Something was going on between those two, and they were keeping the team shut out in the dark.

Nox's powers were still weak in reading minds, but she knew one thing.

It had something to do with Josiah.

Quietly, Nox made her way into the underground rural hallways, lined with decaying white walls. She heard hushed voices speaking behind an old, abandoned train. It's tracks had rusted to the point that the train had toppled over on it's side.

Nox hid behind one of the large, rusted wheels, barely seeing The General and Lloyd on the opposite end.

"I can see you're running from the past, Lloyd. You have to face your consequences." It was The General.

Lloyd hissed back in a tone that Nox had rarely see him use. " _My_ consequences? _You're_ the one who had me in chains for a whole year. _You're_ the one who caused both me and Etrius so much pain. _You're_ the one who killed him!"

Nox's blood turned to ice as she kept herself hidden from sight. What was Lloyd talking about? He almost never let anybody in on his past—how could he be talking about this with The General?

"Don't turn everything around on me, Lloyd." The General snarled. "I gave you a choice to either follow orders and neutralize the target, or run away and end up in your cell again. Your decision is what brought you here."

" _Go to hell._ " Lloyd growled with as much malice he could summon.

"I think you don't want me on this team."

"You _think_?"

"So I'm going to give you a warning," The General shoved him against the surface of the overturned rusted train, making it shudder and echo within. " _Don't_ get in my way."

"What the hell do you think you're planning? The Three Elders are ruling Earth. There's nothing more for you to do here."

"Believe me, Lloyd," His eyes pierced into his like knives. "I'm capable of _so_ much more."

Lloyd remained silent.

"I'll give you a second chance. So don't screw it up like last time, need I remind you. If I see you interfere with my plan once more… This time, Etrius will pay the price. Do I make myself clear?"

Lloyd didn't say a word, but he responded with a heavy nod.

The General smiled. "Good." And he turned and left.

Nox heard his footsteps coming long before she hid herself from sight in an alcove. She saw The General's silhouette move past before she made her way back to where Lloyd was.

He was sitting on the floor, his knees drawn up, head buried in his hands. He looked destroyed.

Nox closed the distance between them, her heart hammering. "Lloyd?"

"You heard everything, didn't you?" He didn't meet her gaze.

Nox blinked. "What are you—?"

"Don't bullshit me, Nox. I knew you were hiding behind the train the whole conversation."

Nox sighed, giving up. "That didn't sound much like a _conversation_." She narrowed her eyes, kneeling by Lloyd. "What was that bastard talking about?"

Lloyd finally raised his head, red and weary eyes watching hers. "I doubt The General knew you were eavesdropping. If I tell you, you have to swear you won't tell another living soul."

Nox crossed her arms. "You're not the only one with secrets around here."

Lloyd's eyes darted around the subway to make sure The General was truly gone. With weariness in his eyes, he confessed.

Left with more anger in her heart than shock, Nox crossed her arms. "I can relate."

Lloyd laughed, shocking Nox slightly again. "Can you?"

A muscle in Nox's mouth twitched. "My parents were separated from me and executed for treason. I've spent seventeen years trying to harness and hide this power, only for me to get captured in the end, sent into cryo-sleep for fifty years, awoke to find my life torn to pieces and nearly destroyed the Earth. So, yes. I can relate."

Lloyd sighed, burying his face in his arms again. "I'm sorry. But I'm in deep shit right now. Now that The General is on the team, he has the power to tell Etrius the truth whenever he wants."

Nox's hand found his. "We won't let that happen."

Lloyd's brows creased together. "We?"

"You said it yourself. The General doesn't know that I know. I'll keep an eye on that bastard," Nox folded her arms around his shoulders, helpless at the fact that he'd been through so much, and there was nothing she could do to change the past. "This'll all work out."

Lloyd sighed, his thumb stroking the inside of her wrist. "I hope it does."

Something tugged at Lloyd's heart, lightening his instincts. The General had fucked up everything Lloyd had ever known, and he was the same man who destroyed Nox's life, and nearly used her powers to destroy the Earth.

Lloyd wasn't going to let him lay another finger on her.

Etrius and Josiah neared a cave that was dug on the opposite side of the building. Lights lined the side of the concrete cave, and trucks were parked along the edges of an electrical barbed wire fence.

"Think you can get a cloaking device over us?" Etrius inquired.

Josiah stared at him. "Huh?"

Etrius shook his head. "I mean—a shield."

Josiah scoffed, summoning a shield around the two of them. "What do you think this is? Harry Potter?"

"Harry— _what_?"

"…Never mind."

Sticking to the shadows, the team made their way inside the cave. Etrius didn't have any trouble disabling the security camera wires in the electrical box situated near the entrance before they proceeded inside.

Etrius and Josiah stuck to the upper catwalk railings, glancing down below for any sign of... something. They didn't even know what to look for.

"Look," Josiah whispered, pointing down below as a group of soldiers who were carrying two black chambers. The soldiers behind them carried oxygen and hydrogen tanks, connected to the chambers by wires. The names _Sgt. Mullins_ and _Private Ray Williams_ were etched into the iron surfaces. "That must be it."

Etrius' eyes widened, then narrowed. "Let's do this."

In one swift motion, Josiah let the shield sink into the ground. They hurled themselves from the catwalk railing, catching the guards by surprise. Etrius didn't have much trouble snapping necks while taking bullets with little damage. Josiah threw up shields around herself, simultaneously knocking guards out with bursts of power.

In minutes, unmoving bodies lay around Etrius and Josiah. The chambers had been dropped to the floor, and oxygen leaked from the broken tubes.

Etrius swore. "Shit, let's get them out of there."

Etrius grabbed Ray's tank while Josiah grabbed Mullins'. They ripped off the doors with brute strength.

The chambers were empty.

Etrius dropped the iron lid, letting the realization sink in. "It's a trap."

The floor broke away beneath him, casting his mind into darkness.

Even before Etrius opened his eyes, he knew he was in deep shit.

His wrists were locked in chains. Two people were dragging him across marble floors by his arms. His ribcage ached.

He blinked languidly. A dim flicker of sleep remained, threatening to tug his mind back into unconsciousness, but he forced his eyes open.

Velvet black tapestries draped off archway windows. Snow had collected on the window sill outside, glimmering in the dim sunlight. Stone columns supported the arced ceiling above.

The air smelled of blood and decay. His stomach turned.

Whispered faded in and out from the shadows, speaking in a language Etrius had never heard before.

Where was Josiah?

The guards who were dragging him suddenly halted. They spoke in a foreign tongue before letting Etrius drop.

His arms hit the floor roughly. He groaned, not enough energy in his system to protest.

"Quick work." A familiar, aged raspy voice spoke.

Etrius' eyes flicked up to see the Three Elders seated in their gold thrones. The Presence, The Darkness, and The Pestilence. The Pestilence was the only female in the group.

"Where… Are… They…?" Etrius breathed, a dim cloud darkening his vision.

The Pestilence frowned. "Who?" Her voice was surprisingly soft and light. "Ah. Your comrades. I'm sorry to say, they aren't here right now."

Etrius stared at her with ground teeth.

She spoke again in an even softer tone. "I did enjoy hearing their final screams as we slit their throats."

Etrius' eyes widened. "You're lying."

She giggled. "Am I?"

Footsteps resounded from behind Etrius. Josiah emerged into his peripheral vision, arms crossed, her eyes staring lifelessly ahead.

"Josiah?" He rasped.

"Don't try reaching to her," The Darkness growled, his voice deep and low like a bear. "We have her mind in our grip. There's nothing you can do to bring her back."

Etrius' heart hammered. "I don't understand."

"Do you honestly believe that child was just awoken from the dead, and conveniently found her way to you and your team?" The Presence quipped. "And those comrades of yours left a message stating they were asleep? I still can't believe you fell for that trap. Nonetheless, it was the perfect way to gather you all. And we have the child to thank for it."

Etrius let all this information sink in. Then, he turned to Josiah. "Hey."

Josiah met his stare with nothing in her eyes.

"Josiah. He called you kid."

Josiah's face softened for a fleeting moment, but as soon as it arrived, it was gone. She crossed her arms again, then stood by the Three Elders' side.

The Presence leaned forward in his throne, his eyes watching Etrius'. "Where are the others?"

Etrius remained silent.

A muscle in the Presence's jaw twitched. "Don't make me repeat myself. You know where they are. Just tell us, and make this easy on yourselves."

Etrius shut his eyes, preparing for the worst.

"Very well." The Presence rose from his throne, walking behind Josiah. He produced a jagged dagger from his belt, then held it against her throat. "This is no ordinary dagger. I'm sure you're aware of enchantments. One cut in her skin, and it's over for her. So, what will be, Human?"


	6. Chapter 6

The team settled inside a cave for the night. The Wise One created a fire of white flames while the team sat around in the semi-darkness, listening to the dripping of the dew from the ceiling. The Wise One shut his eyes, humming an elaborate series of incantations under his breath. He opened his eyes again, a faint glimmer of a glow, as if set aflame from within. He was attempting to mindspeak with Romanov, and not get caught by the Three Elders.

 _Doctor._ His voice echoed in the empty space of darkness.

After a while, Romanov's voice echoed back. _Are you using your mind to communicate with others through long distances? Fascinating…_

 _Where are you?_

 _Inside some sort of building. The Three Elders are here. They want information on the team, but I'm keeping my mouth shut._

 _We're coming to get you. Just hold fast._

 _Wait, there's something you should know._

 _Go on?_

 _There's a White Orb. I overheard the Three Elders speaking about it. They said that it held the power to destroy them all. You must get your hands on this orb._

 _Where? In their fortress?_

 _Yes. Now you must go. I hear them coming._

The Wise One's eyes flickered open. "He's alive, but he won't be for long. He told me of a White Orb that can destroy them."

"White Orb?" Etrius echoed. "We destroyed the black one to get rid of the Mind Worm. Do you think the White Orb could have the same effect?"

"It's possible. Tomorrow we'll set off and retrieve it. This looks like the end of the dark ages."

Nox watched as Lloyd rose from his seat and moved to a darker room in the cave, quietly announcing he was going to get as much rest as he needed. But Nox could spot lies.

After he was out of sight, Nox followed him, leaving the team behind.

She kept herself hidden along the jagged wall of the cave, peering around the corner.

Lloyd stood in the semi-darkness, tugging off his combat shirt. His hand hovered over his robotic arm, inhaling sharply. A thin line of blood traced the edges where his skin met with the artificial glass.

But that wasn't what caused the fear in Nox's heart.

As Lloyd turned around, Nox took in the whip scars running the length of his back. He suppressed a gasp, her heart twisted at the sight. All those years of torture as an assassin… She could only imagine the hell he had gone through.

Lloyd sensed something different in the air. He whirled around, his eyes locking with Nox's. Nox bit her lip, stepping back. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"

Lloyd quickly tugged his shirt back on, block staining the shoulder blade. "Sorry you had to see that."

Nox's eyes moved from Lloyd to The General's hunched form near the fire at the mouth of the cave. She lightly pointed to his scars, concealed by his shirt. "Did… Did he do that?"

Lloyd's eyes searched the floor, then locked back on hers. Something undecipherable moved in them.

A voice of fury screamed in Nox's head. How Lloyd kept this a secret for all these years, she couldn't fathom. She whirled around, marching away before Lloyd grabbed her shoulder He pulled her into the dark, keeping her close. "Nox, don't. Not now."

Nox shut her eyes, grinding her teeth.

Lloyd closed his real hand around hers. "Besides, The General is the only one here who's more powerful than us all. God knows what he can do to Etrius is he finds out. What he can do to you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Not against this man. He has even darker secrets than the ones I have scarred in my skin. You haven't seen what he's fully capable of."

"He's sitting beside Etrius. Lemme keep an eye on him." She removed herself from Lloyd's hold, making her way back to the team. Lloyd sighed, turning back around.

Blue eyes stood in his way, watching him in silence. Lloyd jolted in shock. "Boomer?" _How much did he hear?_

Boomer didn't take his eyes off Lloyd's. "Follow me." He led him past the team, and outside into the frozen woods, out of earshot.

"Boomer, what is this about?" Lloyd inquired, looking back at the faint white glow of the fire in the cave.

"You and Nox." He said, his voice low. "I've seen the way you look at her. What happened when I was gone is beyond me, but don't think I'm letting you off this easily."

Lloyd took a moment for Boomer's words to make sense. "Alright. I'll admit it. Yes, I've grown close to Nox, but it's not in the way you think. She's yours. I would never—"

"Just shut it, Lloyd," Boomer grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, slamming him against a tree. "You act like I'm blind. Is this what you do? Steal another one of your own comrade's, presuming he's dead? You've changed, Lloyd."

"Boomer—"

Boomer pulled his elbow back, swinging his fist into Lloyd's face. He stumbled back, clutching his nose as red liquid dripped on the pure white snow.

"Don't touch her," Boomer warned. "Don't talk to her. Don't even look at her. If I catch you with her one more time, you'll be needing a second replacement arm. Is that understood?" Rage lined his voice.

Lloyd blinked in surprise. He sounded almost like The General.

Boomer whirled around, shoulders hunched, hair falling over his eyes as he made his way back to the cave.

The General rose to his feet when he saw Boomer walking in. His eyes narrowed. First Nox began to act differently around The General, and now Boomer and Lloyd were outside alone. Something wasn't right. His eyes crossed with Boomer's as he walked by. "What were you talking about?" He asked nonchalantly.

Boomer glared at him in rage. "None of your business, old man. Step aside." He didn't look at Nox as he stormed past her, into the darker corner of the cave.

A muscle in The General's jaw twitched. He made his way outside.

The General spotted Lloyd leaning against a tree, wiping blood from his nose. "What the hell did you say to him?"

Lloyd's eyes flicked up when he noticed The General's superior presence filling every corner of the area. "The fuck? It's none of your business."

The General's eyes darkened. "What goes on in this team _is_ my business. I don't tolerate people spreading secrets, Lloyd."

"I'm not—"

"Don't lie to me, Lloyd. I already know you've told Nox everything."

Lloyd hid any reaction.

"You know what else I don't tolerate? Lies."

"You're the one who lied."

"I won't ask you again. _What. Did. You. Tell. Boomer?_ "

Lloyd unpeeled himself from the tree, crossing his arms. "None. Of. Your. Business. It's got nothing to do with the past, so you can calm your ass about that."

The General's eyes remained on Lloyd for a few, agonizing heartbeats before he whirled around, sauntering back into the cave. Lloyd ran his hands through his hair, strands of them getting caught in his artificial fingers, but couldn't care less. Not only did Boomer have the wrong idea, but now he put both Nox _and_ Etrius in jeopardy.

Inside the cave, the chaos only heightened. Beecher and Etrius were locked in argument.

"You heard what Destined One said." Beecher hissed, resulting in a forceful " _Wise_ One!" shout from behind him.

"Whatever! Romanov is in the Three Elder's hand. They probably already have all the information they need on us. We can't fight them."

"Would you say the same if Mullins were still here?" Etrius grated. "Or Ray and Plisskin? I didn't think so. We will _not_ let their deaths be in vain. We have our advantage. The White Orb. We can use it to destroy the Three Elders. The end is in sight!"

Beecher groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Etrius, you don't understand. You're talking about avenging deaths, but what use of vengeance if we're all dead anyway? All of Mankind has been under the feet of those Three Bastards for nearly three centuries."

"Read my lips: We. Have. To. Try."

"Read my lips: We. Don't. Stand. A. Chance." Darkness stirred in his eyes. "It's about time you took in reality, Etrius. This isn't a terrorist attack, or an invasion, or the Mind Worm. This is something _far_ beyond even The Wrinkled One's knowledge."

" _Wise_ One."

"Whatever. The point is, we are the only living humans left on Earth without mind control. Do you know what will happen if we go out there? We may be immortal, but they can find a way to kill us all, if not make us more slaves under their rule. We're staying hidden, and that's final."

Etrius remained frozen in place, the faint glimmer of a scowl on his face before he retreated out of the cave, and into the forest. The General glanced around at each team member, but everybody was locked in argument, and Beecher had retreated to the darker corners of the cave, brooding.

The General took this to his advantage and followed Etrius into the trees.

Minutes later, Lloyd re-entered the cave, seeing everybody secluded from one another. The Wise One sat alone by the white fire, meditating. Josiah was fully conscious by then. She was sitting cross-legged, beside her father. Lloyd could only assume they were sharing thoughts on all they had missed while away from each other.

"Beecher." Lloyd said, his accent sharp and quick. "Have you seen—?"

"If you're looking for Etrius, the bastard is out in the forest, and away from us."

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "I meant The General."

Beecher glanced up. "I think I saw him go outside."

"He went after Etrius a few minutes ago." Josiah opened her eyes, glancing up at Lloyd. "I'm not sure what for, though."

Lloyd's eyes widened. He knew exactly what this meant.

And it was only a matter of time before Etrius was revealed to the past. "I need to go." He unsheathed his sword and darted back into the forest without another word.

"Etrius!" Lloyd hacked and slashed his way through the thicket with his sword, cutting through dead branches and ice in his way. Footsteps were imprinted in the ground, but they were quickly being filled with new fallen snow.

Lloyd stopped in the center of a clearing where the footprints came to an end… _nowhere_. The snow had completely filled the footprints, leaving Lloyd with no idea where he was, where Etrius was, and how to get back to the cave.

" _ETRIUS_!" He screamed at the whispering winds.

"He deserved it." A familiar voice.

Lloyd whirled around, facing The General's silhouette, watching him from the shadows.

"He deserved to know the truth." He said blandly.

Lloyd unsheathed his sword, aiming the tip of the blade at The General's throat. "You fucking son of a bitch. Where the fuck is he!?"

The General wordlessly stepped aside, allowing Etrius to emerge into the light of the moon. His eyes were glazed over, a ring of fire inside the green irises, as if lit from within. The General had him under his control.

"Etrius," Lloyd lowered his sword. "Whatever he's told you, don't believe it. He only wants you to—"

"Shut up," Etrius growled, anger engraving lines in his features. "Just shut the fuck up. I know what you've done. All this time… it was you… And you never told me?"

"Etrius—"

" _Shut up_!" The force of his words made Lloyd stumble back. "You dared to call yourself my comrade. But no more. Tonight, you'll pay the price for your sins."

Lloyd's brows creased together. "Etrius, I don't want to do this."

Etrius approached him, power swirling around his hands. The General watched from the shadows with light and darkness in his eyes.

Lloyd raised his sword higher. "Don't make me do this!"

With a vengeful scream, Etrius charged towards him.


	7. Chapter 7

_I should've just killed The General sooner…_

Lloyd blocked each of Etrius' attacks with swift hurls of his arm, and agile movements. Lloyd could've easily taken down his opponent by hacking a sword through his heart, but killing Etrius was the last thing he could've ever wanted.

"Etrius! Listen to me!" Lloyd had Etrius in an arm lock, focusing all his strength to keep him still. "The General is manipulating you. _He_ killed Josiah!"

" _Shutthefuckup!_ " Etrius broke out of the arm lock, elbowing Lloyd in the stomach. Lloyd doubled over, clutching his stomach. He snarled, blood staining his teeth from where Boomer had punched him earlier. Every one of his fucking teammates were turning against him.

"What's wrong, Lloyd?" Etrius shoved his boot against Lloyd's shoulder, launching him into a tree. "Too weak to fight back?"

Lloyd braced his hands against the tree for support, trying to stay on his feet. "You know who you sound like? The General. You're turning into him. Don't let him control you, Etrius. Fight back—"

Etrius grabbed him by his ponytail, slamming his forehead against his knee. Lloyd's vision spun, and he fell to his knees, his rebel uniform soaking up icy slush. "Don't… Want to… Hurt you."

"Yeah? You won't be hurting anyone else once I'm through with you."

His head bowed, Lloyd's eyes darkened with rage. With a growl, he charged towards Etrius, the two of them hitting a tree before they slammed into the icy ground. Etrius had Lloyd by the throat before he could react.

Lloyd's hands pushed against Etrius' face, clawing at his hands, trying to pry his hands off his throat. His feet dug into icy slush. Etrius' eyes were set aflame with white light.

Lloyd's vision began to darken, spiraling out of focus. The frozen ground rocked beneath him. He tried to speak, but his voice was trapped. It hurt to breathe.

The General watched from the shadows with darkness in his eyes.

Lloyd opened his mouth. No air.

Etrius' cold gaze gleamed with triumph. Through the haze of panic, Lloyd saw his ruthless face turn grainy. Lloyd would've laughed or screamed, but his throat was ensnared by Etrius' hands. This wasn't the way he planned to die. If there was one thing he wanted to do before it happened, it was to tell Etrius the truth. But now there was no way out of this. Etrius would believe The General's lies, and believe he had truly killed the one responsible.

He couldn't let it end this way.

With one final choke, the world crashed down around him, as if made of sand. His limp arms fell to his sides.

The light in Etrius' eyes dimmed as The General relieved him of his control.

Etrius stared at the world with new eyes. He noticed Lloyd's throat was tight in his grip. He quickly relinquished his grip, staring in shock at what he's done. "Lloyd?"

Lloyd remained motionless, his eyes shut, weary lines of the stress over so many years still engraved around them. Blood matted his beard and ponytail. Ice had already begun to form a thin layer around his skin. Etrius pressed two fingers to his neck, checking for a pulse. But the ice had numbed his hands. He couldn't feel a thing.

He waited for a few agonizing heartbeats, watching his mouth, which was slightly agape. His breath wasn't showing in the air. Etrius shook his head, trying to deny it. "No. No, I—I didn't."

"Etrius," The General emerged from the shadows, as if he'd just arrived and didn't watch the fight. "What happened?"

Etrius stared at his hands in vain. The very hands that took his own brethren's life. "I… don't know what came over me."

The General watched Lloyd's lifeless form over Etrius' shoulder. "You mean… You're responsible for this?"

"No!" Etrius buried his face in his hands. "I mean, yes. I mean—I don't know what happened. I blacked out and—"

"We need to go back and tell the others." The General turned to head back to the team, but Etrius stopped him.

"No. They can't know. Not yet. Not now. The Wise One granted us all immortality… How could this have happened?"

"It takes an immortal to kill another immortal," The General smiled behind Etrius' back, but spoke in a melancholy tone. "You can't just stay here."

Etrius braced his hands on the icy ground, bowing his head over Lloyd's form. "What the fuck have I done?"

"Run away," The General said, prompting Etrius to give him a questioning glare. "Get out of here. What will Beecher think when he finds out what you did? What will Josiah think? You need to go, Etrius."

Etrius slowly rose to his feet, his eyes scanning the shadows of the forest around him.

" _Go,_ " The General urged. "The others will never forgive you for this. Go. Now!"

Etrius backed up a few feet from the scene, nearly stumbling. He whirled around and ran away into the forest.

…Hiding in the dead bushes, a silhouette was crouched over, watching the scene. Josiah had only arrived in time to see the effects of the fight. She untangled Etrius and The General's thoughts as Etrius ran off. She had half a mind to make The General pay for what he's done, but she had to get to Etrius first. She had to tell him the truth about his brother.

She vanished into the forest, after Etrius.

Once The General was sure he's alone, he loomed over Lloyd's motionless form. He nudged him with his foot, but received no reaction. The General's eyes narrowed. He kneeled beside him, placing a hand on his chest. Powerful voltage ran through his fingers, travelling into Lloyd's chest.

Lloyd's spine rose at an arch off the ground.

The General let go, and Lloyd's body collapsed into the snow. Smoke rolled off his skin. His chest lightly rose and fell with breath again. His eyes fluttered open, taking in the waving tree branches above him.

"Get up, murderer." The General snarled, grabbing Lloyd by the back of his neck. He hurled him upright, causing him to collapse to his knees.

Lloyd greedily took in gulps of air, hunched over on the ground. Memories clicked together in his mind. "Etrius—"

"—Is no longer here." The General said, standing before him with his arms crossed. "He knows that you killed Josiah. He chose me over you. He's gone."

Lloyd squeezed his eyes shut. "I refuse to believe that."

The General grabbed Lloyd by his neck, raising him so he stands upright. The General's fingers curled into his skin. His eyes are masked in darkness beneath the shadow of his beret. Only his mouth moved. "Listen up. If you ever want to see your comrade again, you'll do exactly as I say."

Lloyd glared at him with scorn, snarling and showing blood-stained teeth. The General was unfazed.

" _Lying._ " Lloyd managed to blurt out.

"Am I?" The General actually chuckled. "We'll see about that. Take the team to the Three Elders."

" _What… Makes you think… I'll do it_?" Lloyd growled.

The General tightened his grip. "Because if you don't you'll be responsible for both Josiah's _and_ Etrius' death."

Lloyd's eyes widened.

"You heard me." He let him drop to the ground. "Now get going. I want to see the others in the city by tonight."

And The General was gone.

Lloyd remained sitting upright for a few second before he collapsed into the snow, on his stomach. Ice pricked at his face. The weight of the world on his shoulders had doubled. "Why is it always me?" He murmured into the ice.


	8. Chapter 8

"You know what I want."

 **"Give us one good reason why we should help you."**

"We share one thing in common. It's no secret you want all worlds to bow before your dominion."

A sigh. **"Go on."**

"And those rebels stand in your way. But no longer. They're on their way here, now. And they're completely unprepared."

 **"You're lying."**

 **"Presence, he speaks the truth. I see no lies in his mind."**

"Well?"

 **"… If those rebels don't arrive by the next sunrise, consider yourself a pawn in our army. Or breakfast for the hounds."**

"You won't be disappointed."

"Lloyd," Beecher rose from his sitting position the minute Lloyd reentered the cave. "Where's The General?"

"What about my daughter?" The Wise One spoke quickly, eyes darting around the cave. "She vanished, and hasn't returned."

"What about Etrius?" Boomer inquired, but without emotion.

Lloyd's eyes remained glued to the floor, avoiding Nox and Boomer's. "Do you all even care about your team leader?"

Beecher scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"I mean it, Beecher."

Beecher paused for a count, then looked Lloyd in the eyes, but with the slightest lazy look. Despite this, Lloyd got the answer.

"Then there's no time to waste. The General escaped back to the city, and Etrius went after him. Without us behind his back, he's prone to the Three Elders. I can only assume Josiah went with him."

The Wise One's eyes darkened with determination.

Nox, who stood at the far end of the cave, locked glares with Lloyd. She pricked at his mind, searching through the feed of thoughts and images in his head. Her eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right.

Lloyd noticed this, and threw up mental walls to keep her out. Nox ceased immediately, not bothering to try and break them down. Lloyd whirled around and faced the forest. "Are you all coming or not?"

The Wise One rose to his feet, mentally putting out the white fire and casting the cave into semi-darkness. "My daughter needs me. I will not stand by while this world burns, and innocents are put at risk."

Lloyd frowned. He needed the entire team with him.

It took a few moments, but soon, the rest of the team stood up and followed The Wise One's example. Nox lingered a few steps behind, wondering what stood on the opposite end of those mental walls that Lloyd put up.

Whatever it was, he seemed determined on keeping it secret. She remembered the day when he scolded Beecher for keeping secrets from the team.

Whatever Lloyd was hiding, she was going to find out.

"Etrius!" Josiah batted through the dead brushwood and icy slush, creating her own path through the forest. She sensed Etrius' presence not too far from here. She could hear crushing footsteps overhead. She quickened her steps.

Etrius whirled around, seeing someone chasing him through the thicket. Josiah burst through the branches, coming face-to-face with Etrius. Etrius' eyes darkened with regret as he turned back around, continuing to sulk through the forest. "Go back to the team, Josiah. You don't want to be near me."

"Uhh, I think I do." She seized his hand, whirling him back around to face her. Then she realized more closely. Etrius' eyes were red and moist. He'd killed many men before on missions, but those were his enemies. And he made a devoted promise to himself to never cause a friendly fire. But this… This crossed the line.

"Look, I know what you're thinking," Josiah spoke truthfully, letting him know that she really was reading his mind. "You didn't kill Lloyd."

"Of course I did. Now stay away from me before I end up killing you, too."

Josiah was unfazed by his words. "The General forced you to. He put you under his control like how the Mind Worm did."

"Yeah? And so what? That doesn't change the fact that Lloyd is—"

"Lloyd is _not_ dead!" Josiah grated between her teeth. "That's what The General made you believe."

"I'd like to see you prove it."

Josiah dragged hand down her face. "Why is it so hard to convince you?"

"None of that matters now. I've become an easy target for The General—for the Mind Worm—for the Three Elders—for everyone. And my anger let those get between me and the team. I'm leaving for good. It's for the best. Don't try and stop me."

"I'm not here to try and stop you," Josiah pressed. "I'm here to tell you the truth. Look, I know you think that Lloyd killed your real brother, but The General forced him into that too."

"What are you—?"

"Shut up and listen. Whatever The General told you is a lie, obviously. When does he ever tell the truth?"

Etrius' eyes flicked to the floor, but he remained silent.

"Lloyd was a rebel and public enemy assassin before he became a soldier. The General tried to use him for his own gain, but he tried to harness a force he couldn't control. So he told Lloyd that if he assassinated someone for him, he was free."

Etrius' eyes stirred with something undecipherable. "So he killed the real Josiah?"

"No. He met him during the mission, and changed his mind about him. They became comrades—rebels. But The General found Lloyd betraying him, and forced Lloyd to kill your brother. He never meant to do it, but all this time… And he blamed himself. Don't you see? The General is at fault here. We have to go back for the team."

Etrius remained still for a fleeting heartbeat before reacting. Whirling around in the snow, he charged back the way he came.

Josiah didn't have too much trouble keeping up with him.

The sharp branches left open wounds in Etrius' skin, but they instantly closed up. His feet pounded against the snow, kicking up slush behind him.

He broke through a familiar set of dead bushes, coming to an abrupt halt before the cave.

The place was dark. The fire was put out. Nobody was there.

Footsteps led away from the cave, into the forest. Etrius clenched his teeth. It was too late.

Josiah pushed past the bushes, stopping beside him and taking in the scene.

"They're gone." Was all Etrius said.

Josiah's eyes followed the footprints, as they led to the Northern section of the forest. "They're heading for the city." Her eyes met his for a fleeting moment.

"Then let's go," Etrius said, following the footsteps of his team before they vanished beneath the coming snowfall. "With any luck, we can reach them before it's too late."


	9. Chapter 9

"Alright, start searching." Lloyd announced as the tem emerged into the city, but kept themselves hidden in the shadows. "They should be around here somewhere…"

Rubble littered the streets, and ice rimmed the edges of the sidewalk. Multiple buildings around them had fallen to ruin, their skeletal structure ripping the gray skies. Weak rays of sunlight sliced through the clouds. Deathly silence thickened the air.

"We should split up," Beecher said, his eyes scanning the seemingly abandoned city. "Wise One, you're coming with me. Boomer, Lloyd, you're both going with Nox."

Boomer gave Lloyd a death stare. Lloyd tried to avoid it.

"On second thought…" Beecher dragged a hand down his face. "Boomer, you're coming with us. Nox goes with Lloyd. The last thing we need is arguing."

 _Oh, joy._ Nox thought as the team parted.

Lloyd was silent as he avoided Nox's gaze, but she sensed his thoughts were swirling with negative emotions. Lloyd knew the team could defend themselves, but this was his only chance to get Etrius back and earn his forgiveness. Whatever The General had done to him, he was going to undo it.

"Lloyd." She said, snapping him out of his stupor.

She took advantage of the distraction and dived into his mind. Lloyd shut his eyes and backed away, grounding his hands into his eyes. He felt her moving through the corridors of his mind.

Nox's eyes flashed. "I know you're not looking for Etrius."

Lloyd staggered back from the dizziness that overwhelmed him, his back hitting a building wall. "Stay out of my head, Nox."

"You're leading us to the Three Elders!" Panic rose in her voice, but she struggled to keep it down and avoid unwanted attention. "Lloyd, how could you?" She reached out again, preparing to find out why Lloyd would do such a thing.

Lloyd reached into his back pocket and yanked something out. He held it in front of her. A shard of obsidian.

Nox felt her powers drain through her fingers like sand. A wave of sickness rolled through her, bile rising in her throat. She collapsed to her knees. The ground rocked. She could barely raise her hands, let alone speak.

"I can't stop what's to come," Lloyd scooped her up into his arms, keeping the Obsidian Shard in his grip at all times. "But I can keep you safe from it. I'm not trying to hurt you, Nox. This is only to ensure that you don't follow us."

Nox tried to respond, to ask him what the fuck he was doing. But she could only make a soft wheezing sound. Her eyelids fluttered, and her thoughts were muddled and saturated. Where did he get the Obsidian Shard from? The Wise One? Why were the effects so strong? Her eyes fluttered.

Lloyd set her down in an empty alleyway, away from anyone's eyes. He kept her hidden behind a dumpster, sticking the Obsidian into her pocket. She inhaled sharply at the sudden movement. Even feeling the effects through a thin layer of fabric, it caused immeasurable pain.

"I'm sorry, Nox," Lloyd squeezed her hand in his. "This is for your own good."

She stared at Lloyd's retreating back as her vision began to see-saw in and out of focus. He was the last thing she saw before falling beneath the surface of consciousness. Lloyd kept them away from them.

Lloyd made his way back to the team, who were searching through the darkest corners of the city. He made his way closer to the team. "Keep searching, guys," Lloyd said, his eyes scanning his surroundings. "Nox is guarding the perimeter."

Beecher's gaze narrowed. "Perimeter? What—?"

 _Clash!_

Beams of light erupted from the earth around them, colliding together in the sky. They formed a barrier of translucent light around the team. Lloyd had been expecting something like this to happen, but he still jolted in surprise.

Four silhouettes lingered somewhere inside the light, watching the team. They hovered just slightly above the ground. The General's voice spoke up. "Excellent work, Lloyd. It all went just as planned."

Lloyd clenched his teeth, avoiding the questioning glares of his team.

"What the hell?"

"It's The General."

"Lloyd, what is he talking about?"

The Presence gestured to the team as a legion of humans, under the control of the Three Elders. They wore gasmasks and military armor. " **Destroy them.** "

" _You son of a bitch!_ " Lloyd yelled at The General. "We had a deal! _Where the fuck is Etrius?!_ "

The General shrugged. "Lloyd, please. When have I ever been a man of my word?" With a swipe of his hand, he ripped out the consciousness of each team member. The Darkness stopped him before he could reach The Wise One. " **Wait**." He glared down at him with intention in his eyes. " **He could still be of use to us**."

The Wise One's eyes flared up with unfathomable anger. "I will never work for bastards like you."

The Pestilence raised her head with pride, her voice soothing, yet threatening. " **We shall see.** "


	10. Chapter 10

"I hear something…" Josiah tilted her head in the air, her eyes narrowed, as if searching for something lost.

Etrius strained his ears. "I don't hear anything."

Josiah scoffed. "That's because you don't have advanced powers. Follow me." She took off in a fast walk through the alleyways, Etrius following close behind. Josiah stopped at every few turns, her eyes scanning the streets, trying to figure out which turn to take to keep themselves hidden, and get to… Wherever she was going.

Josiah stopped at the end of the alleyway, her eyes staring ahead. She was deathly still.

Etrius frowned. "Josiah?"

Josiah shushed him by raising her clenched fist. She moved toward the center of the alleyway. A green dumpster obstructed her view of the empty streets, but something wasn't right.

Someone's hand was splayed across the floor, the rest concealed behind the dumpster. Josiah recognized her instantly. "Nox!" She darted forward.

From the edges of consciousness, Nox could sense someone moving into the alleyway. Her heart hammered faster with fear and alert, but she couldn't move a muscle. The obsidian shard in her pocket weighed her down. She felt someone's hands drag her across the floor, and check her pulse. She forced her eyes open, seeing two silhouettes above her, both with green eyes.

She tried to say something, but the words wouldn't make it past her lips. She heard Etrius' voice grate in her ears.

 _Nox. Nox! Can you hear me?_ His voice echoed in her mind, just barely.

Nox shut her eyes and focused, the mere task draining her of energy. _Ob—Obsidian… Pocket… Lloyd…_

Etrius's hand felt her pocket. Sure enough, he felt the sharp jab of a crystal. He plucked the Obsidian shard out.

Nox inhaled sharply at the sudden effect.

Etrius muttered an "Oh my God…" under his breath before rose to his feet. He hurled the shard into the distance. Nox could feel it's effects ebbing away. Etrius fell back to his knees, grabbing her shoulders. "Talk to me, Nox. How long were you here? What the hell happened?"

Nox opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't form. Her throat was parched. Her stomach swam. Her head spun. Nothing around her seemed real.

Etrius' brows knitted together. _Nox?_

 _It… It's… Lloyd._

 _Lloyd? What happened to Lloyd?_

 _He… traitor…_ She felt the edges of reality crumbling away.

 _Nox! You aren't making sense. What. Happened. To. Lloyd?_

"Maybe I can help." Josiah placed one hand on Nox's forehead, the other one on her heand. Her fingers lit up like white embers, the light curling around them. She shut her eyes, trying to focus. But the steady line that always existed in the forefront of her thoughts was broken. "I can't do this. I've never done this before." She locked her gaze with Etrius'. "Not with Obsidian."

Nox's eyes fluttered. _Lloyd… Led the team…_

Etrius leaned forward. _Go on, Nox. I hear you. Lloyd led the team—then what happened?_

 _Traitor._ She forced the word to form. _Three Elders… Was a trap._

Etrius could only assume that The General was controlling Lloyd, the same way he controlled him.

 _Etrius… I… Failed. Couldn't stop him…_ The darkness closed in on Nox's mind.

 _Nox? Nox!_

Josiah passed a hand over her face. "She'll be alright. She just needs rest."

"You can't control Obsidian, and now you're suddenly an expert?" Etrius grated.

Josiah cast her hair aside. "Whatever. I suggest we stay here, or find somewhere safe until Nox fully recovers."

"We're in the middle of a fucking apocalypse. Where _is_ it safe? Besides, we can't just stay out of action. The team needs me. I need to leave."

"And what if you get captured?" Josiah grated. "I lost you once—I can't lose you again."

Etrius's eyes remained fixed on Josiah's. They grew distant with recalling memories from so long ago. Josiah didn't need to look into his past to see what he was recalling. She could see it through his eyes. "You're the one I can't lose."

Josiah dragged a hand down her face. "Etrius, we need to stick together. I… Okay, I'll admit it. I can't do this without you. I need you. Nox needs you. The team can take care of themselves. You've trained them that way."

Etrius let out air through his nostrils, looking to the floor. Josiah crouched down, hooking one of Nox's arms over her shoulder. "You coming, or what?"

Etrius remained still for a moment, contemplating. Then he grabbed Nox's other arm. Together, the two of them walked away from the alley.

Nox's mind was cast into a world of darkness and memories. One particular memory she never wanted to visit, and was sure she never would again…

It had only been 30 years since Nox was put into cryo-sleep. After a lab fire that caused the entire building to evacuate, Nox's cryo-chamber had been opened. She awoke to find herself in some sort of Naval Research Lab, in Washington DC.

Finding out what the Major had done, Nox ran away to find a resource war destroying country after country, leaving a path of destruction in it's wake.

Knowing that she had to leave her old life behind, Nox picked up a career that would pay her well enough to survive in war conditions.

Assassination.

Washington DC - Nox's First Awakening.

Nox pulled the dark hood over her head, shadowing her face. Her eyes were set aglow, watching the city being torn apart below. A smile crossed her face. After weeks of assassinating and fulfilling contracts, seeing so much death hadn't fazed her as it usually would. Not once did she regret her career choice. Two thousand dollars a kill. More than enough to get her through a month with skyrocketing food and water prices.

Nox stood at the edge of the building, her eyes taking in the signs worn out on the streets. She could barely tell the street names or numbers, but she knew where she was going. Her victim wasn't far from here.

A baby wailed in the distance. The streets were rioting, police and military personnel forced to use lethal weapons to keep the violence down. The smell of blood lingered in the air. Nox could feel it—breathe it—and for a moment, it was all she could see.

Nox backed away a few feet from the edge, then leaped off. She felt her powers coursing through her system, lightening her weight and causing gravity to die beneath her. She never had to worry about making it out alive through the dangerous streets, or grapple across buildings.

Her feet landed softly on the opposite building. It creaked and moaned beneath her weight. Nox frowned, but not at the unsupportive structure.

There.

Overhead.

Someone pulled themselves up from the roof, their grappling gun still embedded in the building's surface. He wore a pointed hood, stained with blood. Another assassin.

Nox quickly lowered her hood over her face. She reached into the back of her belt, producing a dagger. She had to save her bullets for the target. She didn't move from her spot.

The stranger acknowledged Nox's presence, and he stood frozen on the edge of the building. His brown eyes caught the light of the fires below, through the shadow of his hood.

Nox swallowed hard. "You there! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

The stranger remained silent, his eyes wearily on Nox.

"I said—"

"I heard you the first time." He had a British accent. He approached Nox, no weapons in his hands to show her he wasn't afraid. Nox wasn't about to feel guilty just because she didn't let go of her dagger. "What business do you have here?" He was a few feet away from her now, circling her, inspecting her. Nox had to move around once he began to move away from her line of vision.

Nox tilted her head up in defiance, but not enough to show her face. "None of _your_ business."

"I believe it is." Lloyd showed her a contract— _her_ contract.

Nox felt her pocket. Surely enough, it was gone. Anger rose to her face. "Son of a bitch."

Lloyd's eyes hastily scanned the document. "Derek Frank. Lives on Southern Avenue. Hm… You see, I don't believe in coincidences. It's no mistake you and I are chasing after the same target." He closed the distance between them, his breath hot on her cheek. Nox shut her eyes, avoiding his.

Lloyd seized her arm. "Who are you?" He demanded.

Nox remained silent.

Lloyd grabbed her hood and yanked it down, revealing her face. Soft light bled from her eyes. Lloyd's eyes narrowed.

Nox's breath caught. "Look—I can explain."

Lloyd's gaze narrowed as he locked his eyes on her. "Can you kill?"

Nox blinked, the light momentarily flashing away before returning. "What?"

"Can. You. Kill."

Nox took a deep breath, just realizing that she's been holding it in. No use in hiding anymore. "You read the contract. Of course I can kill. Look at the hellhole below us," She gestured to the war-torn streets below the building they stood on. "This is the easiest and quickest career they have available in a time like this. Assassination. It's either kill, or be killed."

Lloyd's eyes raked through her, as if searching her for something, contemplating. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Alright then." He relinquished his grip on her arm. Nox could feel blood circulating back into it again. Lloyd beckoned her with a crook of his finger. "You're coming with me."

Nox almost laughed. "And why would I do that?"

"We're chasing after the same target. No use in one of us taking him down alone. With your… uh… powers, and my skill combined, we'll share the spoils."

"I just don't see how you can move around in that uniform."

"If you don't like it, I can take it off."

Nox rolled her eyes. He was flirting with her!

Lloyd gave a soft, husky chuckle, lowering his hood. He had a sharp, angular features, earthly brown eyes, a goatee and black hair tied back into a short ponytail. Nox could tell he was in his early twenties. There was something familiar, yet richly exotic about his features.

It was now when Nox actually recognized him for who he was. He wasn't known very well to the public, but among the shadowy groups of assassins, he was best known for taking down targets without a single fail. Even when he first stepped into his career, he was young, but showed excellent skill in the art of assassination.

Nox was never one for dating, especially with celebrities. But there was something about him… Something she couldn't escape…

And it was drawing her towards him.

Perhaps sticking around with him wouldn't be so bad after all.


	11. Chapter 11

Washington DC, Nox's First Awakening

"So, what's your name?" Lloyd inquired.

"Angel," Nox lied.

Lloyd chuckled. "Nice try, Nox." He held up the contract again, showing Nox's signature at the bottom.

Nox's face flushed, and she snatched the paper out of his hands. "Stop rooting through my things."

Lloyd halted before the edge of the building, his eyes scanning the next building before them. He unhooked his grappling gun once more, aiming, and pulling the trigger. The hook lodged itself into the opposite building. Taking a breath, Lloyd swung himself onto the opposite building. His feet scraped softly against the building's exterior framework. He pulled himself up to the roof.

Nox still remained on the other building.

Lloyd chuckled, then searched for a large plank for Nox to walk across. A shadow swooped over him.

Nox landed deftly on her feet, power coursing through her. She turned around and eyed Lloyd with a smirk.

Lloyd grimaced, trying to hide his true feelings. Then his grimace transformed into a husky smile. "You look good leaping across buildings." He closed the distance between them. "How did you get your powers, anyway?"

Nox laughed, rolling her eyes. "We've been together for ten minutes, made a deal to use my powers in assassination, and _now_ you're interesting in knowing where they came from?"

Lloyd chuckled, bringing a hand to her face. Nox flinched, flashes of memories running across her vision. The lab. Being beaten down, abused and tested on. Treated like she was a dead roach lying in the dirt. Slapped whenever she opened her mouth or refused.

In a heartbeat, the visions ended. Lloyd stood before her, his fingers softly dragging down her cheekbone. Concern and sympathy stirred in Lloyd's eyes. "Hey, what's the matter?"

Nox inhaled sharply, blinking back the burning tears that began to rise to her eyes. "Nothing," She breathed, and after seeing the unconvinced look on Lloyd's face, she added. "Everything's fine. I'm just…"

Lloyd quickly retracted his hand. "… Did I… do something wrong?"

"No! It's not you. It's me. I mean—" She sighed. "Look, where I came from, there's no such thing as compassion. Because when you're a lab rat, you have to let go of any hope that you'll escape."

Lloyd blinked, in shock, but in the least, understanding. "You're… an escaped experiment. A fugitive."

Nox folded her arms together, shivering, but only from remembering the nightmare. "Yeah. I escaped only a few months earlier. Wouldn't surprise me if that same man started hunting me down."

"What man?"

"I never caught his name. He looked like he belonged in the military, though. He wore a beret."

Lloyd's brows creased together. "I've never seen him before."

Nox's eyes were glued to the floor. Lloyd cupped her chin in his hands, tilting her head up so her eyes met his. "Hey. Whoever that man is, I won't let him get to you. I can see through you in a way he probably can't, and I know you deserve so much better."

Nox shut her eyes. "You don't even know me."

Lloyd's forehead touched hers, and he dipped his head down, so his lips were barely brushing against hers. "Of course I do." Nox could feel him smile against her lips.

Nox shut her eyes, trying to ignore what she was feeling but there was no denying it. Her heart throbbed and hammered against her chest, begging for more of him. Her lips burned with desire.

"What about you?" Nox murmured, glancing up at him. "Anything I should know?"

Lloyd scoffed. "Believe me, my past is boring and clichéd. You wouldn't be interested in my past."

"Didn't you have any goals, or dreams?"

"Dreams?" Lloyd chuckled softly. "Why, Nox, I'm holding my dream right now. I just wish I never have to wake up."

It took Nox a moment to realize what he had said. But before she could react, Lloyd broke away, the distance between them ever increasing.

"Come on," Lloyd beckoned to another building. "We should get going."

"Damnit," Lloyd slammed his fist into the building's edge, his eyes filled with rage. Nox took in the barricaded streets below, where military personal hid behind stones and fallen rubble, advanced weapons in their grip. Nox recognized a few of them, but many of the weapons were foreign to her.

Tear gas rolled through the streets.

"We're too late," Lloyd grimaced and stood upright from his crouched position, glaring at the sight down below. "The entire southern city is going on Lockdown for the night."

"What does that mean?" Nox inquired.

Lloyd seemed a bit confused about this question, but then he remembered that she'd been isolated from humanity in a lab… But for how long, she never said.

"It means there's a certain time when curfew hits for the entire southern half of the city. And I'm not talking about some dating prom curfew. This is get inside, or be shot down. The police can't afford to have anyone in the streets after seven."

"Shit."

"Yeah…" Lloyd's eyes scanned the dark skies. "I just wonder why there aren't any—"

A vibrant light swept over the two of them, momentarily sending Nox into tunnel vision. The sound of rapidly spinning rotors sliced through the air, sweeping their hair back.

Lloyd's breath caught. "—Choppers." He seized Nox's hand, tugging her along. "Run!"

Nox's pace quickened. Through the haze of confusion and adrenaline that rushed blood through her ears, she was about to ask Lloyd what the problem was…

Until bullets _ping_ ed against the building roof around them, whizzing through the air like flies. One single thought flashed through Nox's mind. The man with the beret. He was after her.

Panic rushed through Nox. In her rush to escape, her feet entangled with one another. The floor rushed up to meet her, but Lloyd caught her before she could hit the ground.

Nox reacted too late.

Bullets rained down around them.

Unleashing a scream, Nox summoned a translucent shield to cover them.

Nox glanced up. Lloyd was leaning over her, his body acting as a shield for the inevitable. Blood splattered across his uniform, dripping down his back. Some of the bullets completely ripped through his torso. His eyes were wide, staring ahead, slightly at Nox, slightly at the floor.

Nox cursed under her breath, tears rising to her eyes. Bullets hit the impenetrable shield.

This was because of her.

Taking in a deep breath, Nox focused on her powers, keeping the shield around them.

She levitated Lloyd from the ground, watching his spine rise into the air, his limbs dangling. She brought them to a set of stairs leading further down into the building, until the gunfire slowly ceased. She noticed the trail of blood left behind from the roof down the stairs.

Lloyd groaned at the growing pain through his back and torso. Blood spilled around his form. His eyes were shut tight, lines of weary exhaustion around them.

Nox slowly set him down, using her powers to shut the iron door that led to the roof and blocking out all commotion. Her hands began to glow, and she hovered them over his wounds. "Lloyd! Can you hear me? Just hold still, Lloyd, hold still." Gold light curled around her hands, snaking to Lloyd's wounds. They filled up the bullet holes, warming his bones. Lloyd blinked languidly, his eyes blindly searching the ceiling before they stopped on Nox. After a few daunting breaths, he managed to speak. "Healing…" A cough. "Healing powers?"

"Don't talk. And yeah, that's another one of my curse."

Lloyd squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the light working on his injuries. "Doesn't… Feel like… A curse…"

Nox turned away. "That's if they're used for the wrong purposes." But just as quickly as she picked up the subject, she put it back down. The bullets still wedged inside Lloyd's torso were now slipping out, and the wounds were closing.

After a few more tense heartbeats, Nox sat back, feeling her energy drained from her system, and anything remaining was relinquished into the air. She braced her hands on her knees, tilting her head back and breathing air. "Who the hell were those people?" Even though she's assumed they worked for the man in the beret, she couldn't be sure.

Lloyd slowly sat up, getting used to his regenerated limbs again. "They work for the government. They kill assassins like us, and anyone else they find suspicious. They try to make it sound like they're decreasing the chances of assassination, but really, they're just using it as an excuse to lower the population count."

"Why would they do that?"

"So we'd have enough resources for everyone."

Nox frowned. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Lloyd shut his eyes, slowly shaking his head. "No. No, it's not. You see, we assassins kill people. It's our occupation. We could care less about the laws, or the government, but we're actually doing them a favor by ridding them of the criminals. So they want to get rid of us too to take the credit for themselves."

Nox's eyes travelled to the floor, her mind cast in an endless sea of ice. She hadn't thought of it that way. Her eyes color materialized to a deep, unfathomable black.

Lloyd apparently saw this. But he said nothing and blinked it away. He sighed, then slowly stood to his feet. "Let's get going."

"Where?" Nox climbed to her feet. Where else could they go? The entire city was on lockdown, and they nearly got killed by a patrolling chopper.

"My place," Lloyd began to make his way down the remaining staircases. "It isn't far from here. We could get there through the alleyway system without being spotted. We should stay there for the night, then head out tomorrow to find this target."

Nox hesitated at the fact of going into a complete stranger's place, but what other choice did she have? Besides, she could trust Lloyd… Could she?

Why else would she save his life?

Lloyd was on his knees in the dark alleyway, his hands carefully working the door lock with a paperclip, while simultaneously watching the open streets as helicopter spotlights swept through them.

Nox frowned and spoke, barely above a whisper. "I thought you said you had a place to stay."

Lloyd tilted his head slightly focusing. In the years he's lived here, he never did find the keys to this place. "Yeah. You're looking at it."

Nox blinked. This was it? Either he had a sense of humor, or he was redefining simple living.

"I sacrificed style for safety." Lloyd added, once he noticed her staring.

Nox stared up at the towering apartment building, composed of red and orange bricks, some of them deteriorating, but otherwise, the building remained standing. "Safe? I could probably kick down the door."

Despite this, she'd gotten used to living inside structures, waiting for a bomb to be unexpectedly dropped upon the roof. It didn't frighten her anymore, but with the entire city on lockdown, and with the military following them, what refuge could this place bring them?

With a solid _click_ , the door unlocked and swung inward. Lloyd extended a hand inside the dark apartment, the dim light from the open door illuminated a wall of dust particles. Nox stepped inside, followed by Lloyd. He let the door shut, casting the room into darkness.

A match hissed to life, and Lloyd held it against the wick of a candle. "Welcome to my place."

Nox was impressed by what she saw.

Even the low carroty lighting of the candle illuminated the room.

Unlike the damp, decaying walls of places she usually stayed in for the night, this was the most structurally sound.

They stood at the opening of a black granite foyer that led to a vast room beyond, also carved from black granite. Silk rugs in chromatic shades of navy, gray, and black decorated the floors. The furniture was sparse, but the pieces Lloyd had selected were sleek and contemporary, with clean lines and artistic appeal.

"I don't bring many people over here." Lloyd's voice was low. "It's not something I like to share."

"How did you afford all this?" For a moment, Nox could've almost been tempted to believe her eyes were deceiving her. To see something this intricate and creative in a time like this… it was like finding a water bottle in the middle of a desert.

Lloyd shrugged nonchalantly. "A career in assassination pays well."

Under the candlelight, the granite walls and floors glittered as though flecked with diamonds.

As Nox continued her slow exploration, Lloyd walked the room, lighting candles.

"Kitchen to the left," he said. "Bedroom in the back."

She tossed a coy glance over her shoulder. "Why, Lloyd, are you flirting with me again?"

He watched her with something undecipherable in his lush brown eyes, set aflame by the candlelight.

"I feel like you're distracting me from getting the job done."

Lloyd collapsed on a black sofa, arms spread out. "I'm not the distraction in the room."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

She felt his eyes devour her as she continued exploring the room. He assessed her head to toe without blinking, and a hot ache shivered through her. A kiss would've been less intimate.

Trapped in Lloyd's gaze, Nox accepted what had been laid out so plainly. He was mortal. Nox had supernatural powers. She couldn't die. It took much of her willpower to even save him from the brink of death. And in a life of assassination, she knew that someday Lloyd wouldn't be around much longer.

Not to mention that man in the beret was still after her. If he was capable of putting her in cryo-sleep for 30 years, there's no telling what he could do to Lloyd. He'd kill him in an instant. Or worse.

A relationship could never work out.

But… the power that vibrated off him was different from what she felt around others. Stronger and sharper. Even now, the air whipped with energy. Every molecule in her body was ultrasensitive to his presence, aware of his movements.

Lloyd closed the distance between them, his hands roving up and down her arms. "I know that look. You're thinking of something."

Nox sighed, closing her eyes and bowing her head.

"You're thinking of that man, aren't you?" His thumb stroked her cheekbone. "Nox, there's nothing to worry about. He won't find you. I won't let him. I promise."

Flashes of unpleasant memories rang through her. She shut her eyes, on the verge of tears by merely remembering the hell she'd been through in that lab.

Lloyd leaned in, nuzzling her neck affectionately. Nox's pulse thrummed. She knew the sincerity of his words rang true, but there were still doubts tangled in her heart.

Lloyd held her face in his hands, his thumbs stroking her cheekbones in soft caresses, leaving behind a hot, delicious ache. "Hey," He said softly, his eyes holding hers. "I love you."

"Why?" Nox asked. "Why do you love me out of the others?"

Lloyd pressed his lips against hers, but the touch was just that. A touch. She felt him smile against her lips. "Because you're different."

 _Is it because of my powers?_ She whispered, pushing the thought gently forward. Despite the way he made her feel, she's wasn't going to be fooled into believing he loved her because of her powers.

Lloyd frowned. "Of course not." He said aloud, still not used to sending thought messages. "I love you because _you're_ different from all the others. Even without your powers, I'll still love you more than anyone else. I saw through you. I know you deserve so much more than what you went through at that lab."

Nox drew a shaky breath. But before she could utter another word, Lloyd's mouth met hers, full of hot ache, passion and desire.

Fire lit up inside of her, filling every follow, cold part of her. No matter what happened, she didn't want to forget how she felt with Lloyd.

She wanted to imprint to memory his touch, his taste, even the scent of him so solidly that no one—no one—could take them away from her. Her legs felt wobbly and heavy.

The frightening memories that haunted her dreams receded somewhere in the back of her mind, out of reach forever.

She sank into Lloyd, and he backed them down slowly towards the wall until she came to straddle his lap.

For a fleeting heartbeat, Nox felt like she could conquer her deepest, darkest fears. She would do anything for Lloyd, and he would do anything for her. Even if it came to facing her past again, she'd do it.

She'd do it for him.


	12. Chapter 12

Nox's eyes opened and the room took shape.

The bed sheets were silky soft. The room was dark. The air was cool. She felt a warm presence behind her, and strong hands folded around her shoulders.

Nox's eyes roamed to a clock sitting beside the bed, on an intricately carved wooden table. It read 3:00 AM. Nox shut her eyes. She was so used to waking up earlier than others. Not only did her job require her to assassinate early in the morning when targets were still asleep, but the sounds of usual rioting could be heard from outside.

Not from Lloyd's place, though. The walls from the outside seemed paper-thin, but on the inside, the walls were made of marble with cushioning inside to keep any noise out… and block any noise from escaping.

Nox felt movement shift behind her, and Lloyd nuzzled his head between the curve of her neck and shoulder. "Morning." He mumbled.

Nox smiled in the semi-darkness, a dim flicker of sleep resonating in the back of her mind like cobwebs. "Morning. Are we heading out today?"

"Hm… Wait a minute there," Lloyd's thumb stroked her bare stomach, under the T-Shirt Lloyd let her wear for the night. "Let's see… I have a girlfriend. We're sleeping in the same bed. It's three in the morning, and we're alone. What does this call for?"

Nox playfully shoved him, giggling. "We are _not._ It's way too soon, Lloyd."

"Then when would be a good time?"

"Let's stick to tradition," Nox turned to face him on her side, her hands holding his face, feeling the sharp curve of his jawline, clenched in aggravation and longing. "I'm thinking saving up money. A white dress. _Then_ bed. And I'm counting…" She counted with her fingers. "Three Lloyd Juniors."

"Let's stick with bed." Lloyd chuckled, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Nox squealed as Lloyd rolled them over, until he leaned over her, his body pressing her against the mattress. His lips blended with hers, and passion lit up between the two in the darkness. His mouth dipped and dived against hers, followed by several maneuvers of his tongue. He pulled away only to utter the words, "I love you."

Nox hooked her finger around his jeans, pulling him closer. Her hands explored his torso and arms, feeling he muscles tremble with aggravation. She shut her eyes, drowning herself in the moment. "I love you too. I can't imagine being any happier anyway else."

Lloyd's hands slowly moved from her shoulders, down to her waistline, his fingers subtly undoing the button and zipper. But Nox noticed this through a change in his brainwave pattern. She slapped his hand away, only bringing a chuckle out of Lloyd. "Alright, alright. Come on, we should get moving."

He pulls away from Nox, throwing the sheets off him, letting a cool breeze sweep between them.

Despite the darkness that settled over the city through the blackened sky, the streets were set flame with gunfire, bombings and tear gas to control the riots. Nox breathed in the tainted air. Sometimes she missed it when the mornings were quiet, unsettled and unperturbed, where she could take in the crisp air. But no more.

The entire city had been freed of lockdown just a few minutes earlier, but police were still patrolling the streets, so Lloyd and Nox had to be cautious.

They stopped in an alleyway, scanning the length and security of the building next to them.

Something clicked in Nox's mind, and her heart began to hammer against her chest. The air thickened with negative thoughts and emotions. Something wasn't right about this.

Lloyd noticed her hesitation. "Nox? What's wrong?"

 _Something doesn't feel right,_ She thought to him. _Seriously. My brainwaves are picking up really negative signals from inside that building._

Lloyd shrugged. _Must be some asshole to have so many people want him dead._

 _Do you think it's…?_

Lloyd blinked. _No. It can't be. The man who kept you prisoner wore a military uniform. Why would he be hiding inside a bank building?_

Nox sighed. _I still have a bad feeling about this._

 _Don't worry, love. Nothing will happen between us. I can promise you that._

Nox clung to his words, but her subconscious told her otherwise. Both Nox and Lloyd were given the same contract, to be done on the same day… And they just happened to cross paths. Either this was some crude joke by her hirers… Or Lloyd wasn't telling her everything.

In her peripheral vision, Nox caught sight of the dim streetlights reflecting off a metal surface. The barrel of a gun. Her eyes widened. _GET DOWN_!

Both she and Lloyd ducked to the ground as a bullet sailed past them.

Out of the shadows, multiple men dressed strictly in black clothes and masks surrounded them, carrying guns aimed at them.

Nox's powers activated, and her eyes set aflame with silvery white light. She extended her hands, hurling multiple back by an invisible force. Few remained standing.

Lloyd unsheathed his sword, charging at the few people that sill stood. He swiped it through the air as he ran, deflecting bullets with ease.

In the shadows, a safe distance away from the fight, a man watched with interest.

Lloyd's sword sliced through meat and bones with little effort, it's sharp edge slicing through the air and causing wisps to trail behind. Blood stained his blade, the alleyway, and his clothes.

The stranger in the shadows knew Nox would be taken care of, but he had a particular interest in Lloyd's fighting skills. He killed… without hesitation. Without effort.

A smile split his face. His teeth gleamed in the darkness. With a quick gesture of his hand, he sends in more troops.

Multiple vans stop on both sides of the alleyway, blocking off all signs of escape. Groups of men rush out, aiming weapons at the two assassins.

Nox's hands are set alight, slicing at the troops. The light seemed to cut through the air like a blade, hacking troops in half, and deflecting bullets. But just as quickly as they were taken down, they were replaced with double the troops. In a matter of minutes, Nox was overwhelmed with troops. They held her down, locking her wrists and ankles in Obsidian cuffs.

Lloyd witnessed the men dragging Nox away. He screamed, "NO!" And ran for her.

Troops surrounded him, gripping his arms and dragging him down.

Nox felt something sting in the side of her neck, and her vision began to darken. The world began to slip through her fingers, so much like sand. She collapsed to her knees, her head hanging down.

One troop aimed the barrel of his gun at Lloyd's head, preparing to pull the trigger.

The man in the shadows raised a hand, stopping the soldier from shooting. "No. I want him alive."

Through the haze of confusion, Nox's eyes widened. She recognized that voice.

It couldn't be… Could it?

Her eyes peered up, seeing a familiar man step out of the shadows, wearing a beret, a smoking cigar in his mouth, and his hands clasped behind his back.

Her blood froze. It was him.

He'd come for her.

The contract was a set-up.

The man in the beret approached Lloyd, who was held down by multiple soldiers as they stripped him of his weapons. Lloyd recognized the man instantly. He was the same man that trapped Nox inside the lab. He came to reclaim his prize, and kill anyone who stood in his way.

But Lloyd wasn't letting that happen. He struggled against the troops as they cuffed his arms and legs.

"LET GO OF HER!" Lloyd screamed at the top of his lungs, but he knew that no outsiders would hear them over the screaming rage of war.

The man in the beret kneeled down to Lloyd's level, glaring at him with hatred… and intention. "Not only have I reclaimed my experiment… but I've also caught the best assassin alive. How's that for two birds with one stone?"

Multiple troops chuckled in agreement, but the man silenced them. He looked back at Lloyd, a faint glimmer of a smirk playing on his lips. "What do you think you're doing with my experiment?"

Lloyd's eyes darkened. "She's not yours, and she's not an experiment. Set her free _right this second_ , or you'll be needing more cigarettes than where that came from."

Silence settled among the troops as the man glanced down at his smoking cigar, and then back at Lloyd. "I'll make you a deal," He said, dismissing the previous subject. "It's quite evident that you've grown attached to this girl. Listen closely assassin, because I don't like to repeat myself. You'll work for me. Or you won't see Nox again."

"Fuck you. I know what you are. You're a fucking liar."

The man smiled, standing to his feet and approaching Nox's motionless form. "I'll be honest here. This experiment was a liability. She was bound to be put down sooner or later. But in all honesty, I really don't care what becomes of her. Whether she remains with you or is executed, I couldn't give two shits. Therefore, it's your choice Lloyd."

Nox's eyes were shut, weary lines forming around them, but her ears barely picked up the words floating around her. _Deal. Compromise. Liability._

Panic filled her heart, but the drugs limited her movement to a succinct. _Lloyd!_ She reached out to him. _Lloyd, talk to me. What's happening?_

Lloyd didn't respond. Either he was too occupied to give a response, or the Obsidian cuffs were draining her powers.

Tears stung behind her eyes. The end. She didn't want this to be that moment, stealing up behind her with no warning, but she should have known her kidnapper would come for her sooner or later. There was so much more she wanted to tell Lloyd.

What they had together—it barely started. Everything could _not_ come crashing down.

Lloyd ground his teeth, struggling to keep his anger leveled. "Let me get this straight. Something you want, in exchange for Nox's life." His jaw twitched. "What could I possibly have that you want?"

"I've seen the way you fight and kill without hesitation. Do you have any idea how long I've been searching for such an assassin?"

Lloyd ground his teeth harder. He couldn't give two shits about what this man was looking for, but he was playing Nox's life in his hands. He shut his eyes, weighing the options. There was no escape, and if he didn't act soon, _he_ would be responsible for Nox's death. And his.

"Fine." He said through clenched teeth.

The General smiled. "Alright, Lloyd. We have a deal. You'll work for me, and in return I'll let your girlfriend live."

The men didn't let Lloyd nor Nox go.

The General raised his phone to his ear, and when he caught Lloyd watching, he explained, "Just making sure my car is ready."

However, when he spoke into the phone, his voice adopted a hardened undertone. "Send my men in. All of them. I want the experiment brought back to the lab."

Lloyd went still, hearing the sound of feet heavily shuffling the floor. "What's this? We had a deal!"

"I promised to let the girl live. When I release her is up to me, and you."

Men stormed into the alleyway out of armored vehicles, surrounding the two assassins. Lloyd struggled against them, screaming words of defiance and accusation at The General.

Someone pressed a damp cloth against Lloyd's mouth, but he held his breath, refusing to breathe in the drugs.

But he couldn't hold his breath forever, he squeezed his eyes shut, inhaling sharply and feeling as if his lungs were about to cave in. He breathed in the fumes, which burned in his throat and lungs, and created a thick maze of cobwebs in his mind. He heard The General's voice, but it sounded low and static, as if it had travelled a long distance.

"Take the assassin back to base. Have a cell designated for him. We still have work to do before we earn his full loyalty."

Lloyd's body went limp, and he collapsed to his side, but the men still gripped his arms firmly. The General's form soon became a silhouette against the lights of war.

His fading vision was on Nox as they dragged her away. Heaviness passed through his heart. He just wanted to hold her one last time.

One year later

Lloyd awoke to the pain of his burned arm, and the burden of his best friend's death on his shoulders.

The iron door of the cell shut, and The General nonchalantly sauntered inside, followed closely by three guards. The General's uniform had been cleansed of Josiah's blood, and had a smoking cigar in his mouth, while Lloyd still had his old torn up prison clothes, still stained with blood. A reminder of his mistake.

The General and his men stood silently in the room, with his arms crossed, foot tapping against the ground, as if waiting for something.

Lloyd managed to force words past his mouth, his voice still hoarse and energy drained. "S—Son of a… bitch…"

The General turned to face Lloyd with that usual scowl on his face, his eyes shadowed beneath his beret. "You had a choice, Lloyd. You should've known repercussions would follow if you made the wrong one."

Lloyd wanted to leap out of the bed and disembowel him, to rip him apart limb from limb for everything that he's done. But his energy was drained, and his wrists were bound tightly to the bed post until his skin turned white, and his fingers grew numb.

"Fuck you…" He said, barely above a whisper. Then, "FUCK YOU!" He inhaled sharply, his deflated lung feeling as if they would cave in.

The iron door swung open again, and a man wearing specs and a white lab coat entered, carrying a syringe and multiple vials of clear liquid.

Lloyd ignored the new stranger, and pointed his words at The General. "Y—You got… w—what you wanted… Just hand over N—Nox."

The General swung around to face him, something undecipherable stirring in his eyes. "It's been two years, Lloyd. I would've thought you'd given up on her by now. Besides, you're the one who escaped from the mission in the first place."

Lloyd shut his eyes. After aligning himself with Josiah, he planned on going back to Washington and finding Nox, with an army by his side. But with Josiah dead, and Lloyd back in captivity, that didn't seem possibly anymore.

"Enough w—w—with your shit… Just hand her over…"

The General shook his head. "Sorry, Lloyd. You had your chance to prove your loyalty, and you blew it."

"Your t—t—target is d—d—dead," Lloyd couldn't bring himself to say Josiah's name out loud. "Th—Th—There's n—n—nothing more you c—c—can do. Just hand over Nox, and y—you'll get my l—l—loyalty."

A coy smile played on The General's features. "My, your feelings for her run deeper than I thought." The General crossed his arms, as the man in the lab coat filled the syringe with clear liquid, his face emotionless.

"You see… I _would_ hand her over…"

Lloyd's eyes flicked up, and his fingers curled into fists. Or, at least he attempted to move them through the numbness.

"But while you were gone doing God-knows-what in that communist country, that girl's heart failed during an experiment. Nox is dead."

It took Lloyd a few moments to register the words, as the man in the lab coat approached him.

The General relinquished smoke from his cigarette after taking a drag. "But you won't have to worry about that anymore. In just a few hours any recognition of her will be wiped clean from your memories. Consider it a form of repayment for your loyalty… and punishment for trying to escape."

Multiple men held Lloyd down, despite the fact that he didn't try to escape. No matter what he did, death and destruction was always inevitable. There was no escape from this place. And he might as well accept what's coming.

The General watched emotionlessly as Lloyd gave in to the anesthetics. Everything he told Lloyd about Nox was a lie. But he never intended them to actually cross paths in the first place. Nox was still alive, but just held back in cryo-sleep. Hopefully she wouldn't escape again.

But he needed that experiment for later. And putting Lloyd with the elite team with knowledge of The General's experiments would prove disastrous.

The man in the lab coat studied the labels on the vial once last time. "Sir," He called The General. "You requested that the prisoner receive one dosage… With all due respect, but wouldn't he need another dosage?"

"One is enough."

"But sir, his knowledge of the rebel leader is still intact."

"That's exactly what I want," The General spoke with intention in his voice. "He doesn't need any knowledge of Experiment X in the future. But the rebel leader… We can keep that as a back-up plan, should he try and escape again."

The scientist bowed his head in respect. "Yes, sir."

One of The General's brows swept up. "Where did you say you were from again?"

"Lab 115, under Dr. Romanov's supervision."

That mere name caused alarm to jolt through The General. When the scientist turned away again, The General leaned over to one of his men. "When we're finished, I want you to take him to the back and make sure his body is never found."

The man nodded emotionlessly.

Lloyd's moist eyes were fixed on the ceiling, disoriented. The room around him began to melt into a pool of color, which burrowed into his mind and torched at memories like acid. He saw images of him and Nox flashing before his eyes. He remembered the way he held her, and the sound of her voice… for a moment, he was almost tempted to believe she was in the room.

Then the foundations that held up these memories began to crumble away at the edges. Recollections, locations and names began to lose their meaning. He tried to hold onto every contour of Nox's face before they were gone forever. He felt every second, every moment slipping through his fingers, so much like sand.

Then…

Silence.

Who was he thinking about? Trying to remember? What was the name?

Lloyd blinked languidly, seeing The General's silhouette looming over him, and his words grated against his ears, putting his teeth on edge.

"You work for me now…"


	13. Chapter 13

Nox awoke with a jolt, to unfamiliar four decaying walls, and familiar hands grasping her shoulders. Etrius loomed over her, speaking to her words she couldn't hear.

Near a broken window, Josiah stood with one foot pressed against the wall behind her, her powers activated and keeping watch of the empty streets beyond.

The recollections came rushing back to Nox in white hot flashes.

Lloyd had sacrificed himself, so she could live.

If only she and Lloyd had never crossed paths… This would never have happened.

Lloyd went through all that pain because of her.

Blinking languidly, Nox pushed her hands against the ground and tried to sit up, but Etrius held her down. "Don't move. You might've broken something."

Nox rolled her eyes tiredly, feeling a jabbing pain in the side of her ribcage. Passing her hand over the wound, it healed beneath her touch. "We need to leave. The team—The Three Elders—"

"Okay, first, you need to tell us exactly what the fuck happened."

Nox pressed her hands against her eyes, trying to wash the trauma away. "It's Lloyd. He—He betrayed us. He led the team straight to the Three Elders. They're probably all dead now."

Josiah's stomach dropped. "Don't say that. The Wise One immortalized them – the team should still be alive."

Nox frowned. "It takes an immortal to kill another immortal."

"Why would Lloyd do that?" Etrius inquired.

Nox shut her eyes. "I tried reaching into his mind to find out why, but that's when I was knocked out."

"He could've been under the influence of The General, or the Three Elders."

Nox nodded feebly, her nerves on edge. "Maybe. The only way to find out is to go there ourselves."

Etrius couldn't agree more. Josiah was still concerned. "So we're just going in without a plan?"

"We're in an apocalypse," Etrius said, sarcasm sinking into his words. "Nothing ever goes according to plan."

Josiah rolled her eyes. "So what will we be doing once we're inside, genius?"

"We find the team," Etrius' jaw clenched. "Then we find the White Orb the Wise One was talking about. And we use it to take down the Three Elders."

The remaining team members made their way through the shadows of the city, and stopped in front of the Three Elders' Castle, rooted right in the center of the city. It towered with pointed roofs that seemed to shred the sky. A stark black against the creamy white of the snowy sky.

Etrius led the through the back, where security wasn't as tight, and the basement lab wasn't far.

Nox frowned. _Is this a trap?_

Etrius raised a brow in inquiry. _Hm?_

 _I mean… The basement lab is housing the power. Why isn't there high security?_

 _It's like they want us to find it._ Josiah added.

 _Well, it's not like we have a choice. The best thing we can do is get in there and back out without being spotted._

As the underground lab location neared, a strange buzzing white noise filled the air, like electricity, and it only grew stronger with each passing second.

They descended a narrow winding staircase, illuminated by an unknown source up ahead. They came to a stop before an iron door, it's edges radiating light, as if something were glowing strongly from beyond. The air crackled and flexed with voltage.

Etrius, Nox and Josiah tensed, preparing for anything.

Etrius kicked down the door, and the team burst into the room, weapons raised.

Etrius lowered his gun at the sight of a familiar silhouette. He was upheld in mid-air by a spider-web of powerful voltage, generating from a machine below. His limbs were outstretched, and his spine was arched.

Etrius' eyes widened. He hurried towards the machine, frantically searching through the system for some sort of off-button. Josiah was paralyzed, her eyes flooding. Nox tried to reach out to him with her mind, but she wasn't receiving anything feed from him. " _Etrius, do something!_ "

Grounding his teeth, Etrius backed away from the machine, aiming his pistol. He fired round after round into the machine until the electricity was reduced to a crackle. The Wise One collapsed to the floor.

Josiah was at his side in an instant, shaking his shoulders, a thousand frightening thoughts clashing in her head, in the space of a single heartbeat.

Finally, Nox felt a weak tremor in his mind. His eyes fluttered open, remaining fixed on Josiah. He raised a weak hand to her face, a smile surfacing.

Etrius searched around the room, finally taking everything in.

The team was scattered around the room, lying face down on the cold metal flooring, as if they'd been through a fight. Blood spilled across the floor.

Etrius rushed to Beecher, while Nox kneeled by Boomer's side. He was covered in fresh scars, and blood seeped out of the wounds. Panic lit Nox's heart. Why weren't they healing?

She placed a hand on the side of his face, and focused. She felt her powers running through his system, working on the wounds. The mere task drained her of energy. It had been so long since she last healed someone with so many injuries. Boomer remained unconscious, so Nox moved onto Lloyd, while Etrius remained working on Beecher's injuries.

Beecher bust into a fit of coughing, blood filling his right lung, which has collapsed. He struggled for breath.

Etrius hovered a glowing hand over his lungs, and the light dissolved the blood in his lungs, restoring the organ. Beecher's shoulders rose and fell with each heavy breath. His eyes blinked, reddened.

"Hey," Etrius said, and when Beecher didn't respond, he added forcefully, " _Hey._ Why weren't your wounds healing?"

Beecher could only stare in disbelief at his comrade.

"Those bastard pigs," The Wise One choked as he rose to his knees, "Absorbed their powers."

Etrius' heart dropped. "They can do that?"

"Apparently, they can," Nox worked on Lloyd's wounds, even though she felt he didn't deserve it. "But… They let them live. Why?"

Lloyd's eyes suddenly flew open. He rolled over to his side and coughed up blood, his vision sea-sawing in and out of focus.

When his vision finally settled, he watched Etrius rise to his feet and approach him.

Lloyd scrambled to his feet, his energy renewed by Nox's powers. "Etrius. You're—"

" _What_ the _fuck_ were you thinking?!" Etrius pulled his fist back preparing to deliver a blow across his face, but Nox stopped him.

"This isn't the time or place, Etrius."

"I do believe it is," Lloyd's eyes stirred with something undecipherable. "I thought you were dead."

"We all thought you were dead," Beecher rose to his knees, fixing Etrius with a dark glare. "The General blackmailed Lloyd into leading us here, think he could release you, you son of a bitch."

Etrius' eyes darkened. "I have no idea what you're talking about. The General forced Lloyd and I into a fight. That's when everybody vanished."

"Well, The General said he had you in his custody. But apparently, that was a lie as well." Lloyd responded.

Beecher ground his teeth. "You fucking son of a bitch. I can't believe you actually believed that bastard."

" _What else did you expect me to do?!_ "

" _Keep it down._ " Nox hissed.

A low cough resounded from behind Nox.

Boomer's eyes blinked languidly, staring at the ceiling. Nox rushed to his side, falling to her knees.

Etrius grabbed Lloyd's shoulder, pushing him further from the team, then spoke in a low voice. "Josiah told me about what happened to you. But we'll talk about Josiah later."

Lloyd raised a questioning brow, his eyes travelling to Josiah the Girl, as she kneeled by Tobias. "What are you talking about? She's right there."

Etrius' eyes blackened. "I wasn't talking about her."

Lloyd's stomach dropped to it's lowest level upon the realization. "Oh. That." But before he could say anything else, Etrius turned back to the team.

"Alright, guys. Let's find that White Orb and finish this shit once and for all."

" **That won't be necessary.** " A low, electrified voice sounded from the doorway.

The Presence, the Pestilence, and the Darkness stood in the doorway, making their way inside. Their eyes were set aflame with electrical white light.

Etrius curled his hands into fists, feeling his powers channeling through his system. His eyes sparked with ethereal white light.

Nox's eye color materialized to an all-consuming black with fear, activating her powers. Her skin shimmered with a layer of sapphire light.

Boomer instinctively moved in front of Nox as a protective move, but Nox moved first, forming a translucent shield around the team.

Then Boomer remembered.

During the fight, the Three Elders drained all their powers. It would take days for even The Wise One to recover.

Only Etrius, Nox and Josiah could stand a chance against them.

Against all odds, The Presence extended a hand, power rolling off it like a stench.

Darkness obscured all windows and doors, leaving out any signs of escape.

Even the lab lights flickered.

The Presence walked into the center of the room, but he didn't seem to have any intention of advancing towards the team. He turned around, facing The Darkness and the Pestilence. A smile crossed his face, a significant sign of sentiment from his usual emotionless expression.

" **I would like to thank you two for your cooperation.** "

The Pestilence's eyebrows creased, a worried look descending upon her feminine expression. " **I don't understand.** "

The Darkness spoke, his voice low and twisted. " **What's gotten into you?** "

" **Furthermore, I would like to thank you for trusting me with The Wise One's power.** " He extended his hand towards them, flexing his fingers.

In a flash of light, The Pestilence and The Darkness were brought to their knees, power rolling off them and into The Presence's hand, coiling around it like a snake.

" **It only makes absorbing your powers so much _easier._** "

" **You—You—** " The Darkness's skin dried, crusted, turning to stone before dissolving away like grains of sand.

" ** _TRAITOR!_** " The Pestilence screamed before she turned to stone, and then fell away into dust.

The Presence closed his fist, shutting his eyes and feeling the power coursing through his veins. They ignited with light beneath his skin. He turned to face the team, his pupils barely seen through the white glow.

Etrius kept a hand in front of him, light snaking through the air in defense mode.

Nox's palms lit up with sapphire flames, and Josiah kept the shield in front of the team.

Etrius whispered between his teeth, to Beecher. "On my signal, get the team, and get out of here."

"I'm not leaving without you." Beecher snarled back.

" _Just do it._ "

" **Oblivion, let your team leave, Mortal**." The Presence directed his words to Etrius. " **It won't make a difference.** "

Etrius ground his teeth, but didn't respond.

" **The White Orb you've been searching for? I can't believe you humans thought it had the power to liberate mankind. You thought it could destroy me?"** He laughed, the sound deep, twisted, and electrified. " **That Orb only exists to change the past. You mortals have no true power, even by merely existing. Because when I'm through, you will all be erased from existence.** "

The doors burst open, and a familiar silhouette stood in the doorway. "I wouldn't be too sure about that."

Etrius' eyes widened, and Lloyd's eyes were filled with hate.


	14. Chapter 14

The General had his hands wrapped around the white orb, the otherworldly light piercing between his fingers like knives.

Etrius' teeth went on edge. He pieced the rest of the puzzle together himself.

The General gained the trust of the Presence so he could get his hands on the orb. No surprise there.

But he thought it would be able to destroy the Presence.

He had no idea it was supposed to change the past.

He rose to his feet and began to run towards him. "Stop! That's not—"

The Presence swiped his hand through the air, knocking Etrius back by an invisible force. His back collided with the cold stone ground.

The General's eyes were undecipherable beneath the shadow of his beret. But a crooked smile tipped up the corners of his mouth. "I know exactly what this is used for."

Chains of light burst from the white orb itself, latching itself on The Presence's wrists and ankles. The Presence strained against the shackles as they dragged him to his knees. He uttered an unsettling noise of defeat and frustration.

The team watched on in confusion.

The Presence glared at The General with rage in his eyes. " ** _Traitor_**!" His voice trembled and vibrated with power, like the angry roar of a lion.

The General said nothing as The Presence began to fall away at the seams, his body dissolving away like sand in water.

"You will remain trapped in between the fabric of reality and time for Eternity," The General said plainly, his voice somewhat… different now. "You will never escape, and you won't lay another hand on life ever again."

The Presence unleashed an animalistic roar before he materialized from existence, disappearing into a pocket of time.

But the light didn't vanish from the orb.

The General approached the team.

Etrius scrambled to his feet, standing in front of his team. "Stay back, you son of a bitch. You may have ultimate power, but we're not going down without a fight."

"You're free to go back," The General held out the white orb with an emotionless expression. "I won't stop you."

Etrius frowned, stepping back. "What—What the fuck are you—?"

"The only reason I allowed Lloyd to lead you all here, I needed everybody gathered into one location. I couldn't send us back in time without destroying The Presence immediately first."

"Back there… You told me to run away. If you wanted us all here, then why?"

"I knew you'd come back for the team eventually. It was only a matter of time. I told the Three Elders that I would watch the 'prisoners', but I never anticipated that…" His eyes moved to The Wise One. Nox read the rest of his thoughts. _They'd absorb your powers._

Before Etrius could respond, or even ask another question, The General turned his head towards the door. "It's time, doctor."

Romanov stepped through the door, red marks on his wrists from the chains, but otherwise he was set free. His glasses were cracked, his hair was ruffles, his lab coat torn, and his eyes red and weary.

The light from the orb extending into a square-shape, like an open door. A passage through time. Air, particles and lab equipment was sucked into the doorway by the sheer voice. The General raised his voice so the rest could hear over the screaming winds. " _Go! There isn't much time!_ "

Beecher was the first one to go through, then Nox, Boomer, Romanov Josiah and The Wise One. Etrius remained the last one to go in, making sure each of his team had the opportunity first.

Lloyd stepped forward to rush through the doorway, but The General stopped him. "Etrius, you go. There's something I have to do."

Etrius seemed hesitant to leave, but with time running out, Lloyd shoved him through, not wanting to deal with his shit.

The General released one hand from the orb, another hand still holding it. It was a strain, even for him.

With his free hand, he hovered it over Lloyd's eyes, his powers activating. "When you get back, make sure to punch me in the fucking face!"

White hot flashes of images, memories and voices ran through Lloyd's mind, filling in the missing gaps.

His eyes widened. He remembered.

He remembered Nox.

Without a word, The General shoved him through the doorway as it flickered shut.

The force must've either worn down the building, or it was disappearing because the passage of time was already being rewritten.

The white orb fell from The General's hands, and splashed into silky white liquid, spilling across the floor.

The General stared up in dismay and victory as the ceiling caved in, and the building collapsed.

It was over.


	15. Chapter 15

Etrius drifted to the surface of consciousness, his eyes heavily dragging open. Familiar thick sheets were swaddled around him. He blinked the blurriness out of his vision, taking in the conversant room.

He was inside his dorm.

With a gasp, he shot upright, his forehead banging against the wooden bunk above him. " _Ow._ "

The noise must've awoken Beecher, who slept on the bunk above him, because he shot upright as well. Startled, he threw the sheets off him, completely forgetting that he was on the top bunk. He slipped off, expecting his feet to touch the floor.

Instead, he plummeted to the ground with an _oomph!_

Etrius' jaw locked. Leaping out of bed and darting past Beecher, he threw the door open and emerged into the hallway.

Boomer and Lloyd both emerged from their dorms, each team member gawking at each other in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Nox rushed into the hallway, heading for the staircase. The guys' dorms were a floor beneath hers.

Halfway there, someone rounded a corner, bumping into her. Nox stumbled to the ground, taking a second to recover.

The man in front of her grunted, rising to his feet. "You know, you don't always have to do early morning work-outs, Nox."

Nox did a double-take, her eyes staring wide at disbelief.

Mullins glared at her. " _What?_ "

Nox squealed, catapulting on him, babbling words of relief and excitement.

" _Ahh_! Nox! What are you—? _Get off!_ " Mullins grumbled, trying to push her off his arm.

"Serge?" A familiar voice came from their right.

Meanwhile, the team downstairs turned their heads when they heard a yawn. A familiar troop sauntered down their hallway, his eyes weary of sleep, as he searched through a thin tablet he held in his hands.

Etrius couldn't believe his eyes. "Plisskin?"

Plisskin straightened upon hearing his name, tucking the tablet away. " _Uhh_ —Etrius! Sir. I was just uhhh… I'm designated to clean the choppers this morning. I was—just on my way to do that."

Lloyd could only stare in awe, but Boomer spoke up. "Is… is it really you?"

Plisskin raised a questioning brow.

Etrius' eyes swept the floor, then they met with Lloyd's.

Lloyd stiffened under Etrius' stare, but his words were far from what he was expecting. "Lloyd, you were the last one to leave. What happened to The General?"

A muscle in Lloyd's mouth twitched, and he crossed his arms. "He said he couldn't make it. One person had to stay behind in order to keep the door open."

Etrius' heart dropped to it's lowest level. "Then that means…" He let the realization sink in. It was because of The General everyone made it out alive.

Plisskin frowned. "I have _no_ idea what's going on here. You know what? Cleaning the choppers sounds great – in fact, I'll do it right now." He scooted away from the team, wondering what they were speaking about, and yet, not really wanting to know.

"Did he say anything before you left?" Beecher insured, that usual edginess in his tone.

"Well he said, and I quote, 'Make sure to punch me in the face when you get back.' So now that everything's back to the way it was… so is The General."

A groan of frustration resounded from the group.

"Did he say anything else?" Beecher inquired again.

"He—" Lloyd eyes widened as the recollection hit him like a storm. He remembered The General storming through his lost memories, replacing the empty spots left behind, that always left a sheer reluctance circulating around his thoughts, as if a piece of him were missing, and not finding them would lead to the end of him.

Nox.

Without a word, Lloyd darted away from the group, travelling up the staircase.

He came face to face with Nox, Ray and Mullins, who were making their way down.

Mullins pushed past Lloyd followed closely by Ray, who hurriedly saluted, making himself occupied with the team.

Lloyd stood just a few steps below Nox, staring up with something stirring in his eyes, something she couldn't decode.

So many years of lost memories lingered between them, all reduced to the space of a single heartbeat. Lloyd's brows creased together. "Nox, I—"

Nox turned her face away from him. " _Save it_."

But Lloyd continued. "Believe me, when I left you behind… I did for your safety."

Nox's eyes burned, but she didn't show emotion. She felt torn apart, forgotten, but most importantly…

Betrayed.

"You couldn't told me," Nox whispered. "I trusted you."

Lloyd held a hand out towards her. "I trust _you_ , Nox. I trust that you can handle situations on your own. I trust that you can always find a way out… And I trusted in that moment when we met at the rooftop."

It took Nox a moment for those words to sink in. Hesitantly, she turned back to face Lloyd, who was watching her with new brown, earthly eyes. "I remember," He took a daring step closer to her, slightly ascending the staircase. But he wasn't at her level yet. "And I regret everything I've done – every choice I made that day. I shouldn't have left you behind. But… All those years of waiting, dealing with the pain, and holding onto the hope that someday, we'd be together again... Only now did I realize how much each moment we did have should be cherished." He took another step.

Nox was tempted to move back a step, but she was locked in place by powerful, uncontrollable magnetic forces that pinned her in place, drawing her eyes, mind and heart to Lloyd, like a moth to a flame. She couldn't escape him. His gaze ensnared her like thorny vines.

His extended hand reached for hers. And the first touch was just that. A light trace.

Nox immediately dissolved under his touch, but she didn't show any reaction.

Lloyd ascended one more step, until they were inches apart, nothing but a sliver of air between them. Lloyd's hands moved from hers, further up her arm, and stopping at her face, his thumb stroking her cheekbone in soft, intimate caresses. He was so close. His forehead tipped down, barely grazing hers.

His hands raked fire everywhere they touched.

An electrical vibe hummed through the air.

Lloyd moved closer, their mouths just barely touching. Lloyd hesitated.

Nox shut her eyes, slightly tilting her head and pressing her lips against his.

The kiss was deep, savoring, whole and complete, filling every hollow, cold part of them, and tapping into the chill that had seeped into their bones. Nox moved her hands around his shoulders in circles, moving to his neck and bringing him closer. She allowed herself to drown into him, feeling lost and complete in the deep.

Lloyd held her close, tucking her body safely against his, his mouth dipping and diving against hers. He filled the kiss with his own strength, heat, and silent power.

When Lloyd finally pulled away, a smile broke out across his face. "Can we start over?"

Something suddenly clicked in Nox's mind, and an electrical vibe ran beneath his skin. She sighed. "Lloyd. It's not that easy. So much has happened since that day."

"I know. But… Let's just talk about it."

The two of them descended the staircase, and made their way back to the team, preparing to tell them about the past they shared together. The true past that was long forgotten. Nox and Boomer would need to have a private talk, though.

A long talk.

Strangely enough, Boomer wasn't with the rest of the team.

And the team didn't pay attention to them as the two descended the staircase. They had their backs to them, staring at something, utterly silent.

Nox heard Etrius speak, barely above a whisper. "Scott."

A young man stood in front of the team, with short, ruffled blond hair and sea green eyes. His mouth was twisted into a wry smile. "Something wrong?"

Lloyd frowned. "I've never seen you around the base."

Scott raised a brow in question. "Me either. Do we know you?"

Nox stepped forward. "We know him. The question is, do _we_ know _you_?"

Beecher sighed. "You two don't," He gestured to Lloyd and Nox. "But we do."

"Scott," Etrius took a step forward. "How… are you here?"

Nox's gaze shifted from the stranger, to each team member. "Uhh, would someone care to explain?"

Beecher ran his hands through his hair. "This is Scott. He was our team member before Lloyd replaced him."

"Back up. What do you mean by _replaced_?"

Etrius looked Scott straight in the eyes. "You died that day. Your heart stopped beating. We all watched."

"Something must've happened when we passed through the wrinkle of time," Beecher said. "It brought Scott and Grace back."

" _Grace is back?_ " Nox and Lloyd said in unison. It was no wonder Boomer suddenly took off.

Nox and Lloyd exchanged glances, the two of them sharing the exact same thought.

Boomer would've given anything to be with Grace again. And now that she has returned…

"Nox, do you know what this means?" Lloyd held her shoulders, but Nox backed away, slowly shaking her head. "This is the way things are meant to be!"

"No… No wait, this—this isn't right."

Lloyd's brows creased together.

Nox's eyes darted everywhere, from Scott's wolfish features, to Lloyd's amber eyes. "Something isn't right about this. I need to go."

Before Lloyd could respond, Nox fled down the hallway.

She had to find Boomer and Grace, and figure out this was all true.

She burst through a pair of double doors to find Boomer standing with his back to her. In front of him stood Grace, clear as day. Boomer was holding her face, their foreheads inches from each other.

At the sound of the door bursting open, Boomer turned around to face Nox. He had a scowl on his face, but it quickly dissipated when Grace held his hand. Then a look of minor forgiveness crossed his features. He turned back to Grace.

Nox backed away, bumping into Lloyd from behind.

"Hey," Lloyd's hands moved to the nape of her neck. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Nox breathed a shaky sigh. "I just… Need some time to figure this all out."

Footsteps resounded from down the hallway.

Tobias and Josiah hurried down the hall, towards Nox and Lloyd.

"We're back," Josiah said as she walked with them, away from Boomer and Grace. "And so is everyone else. Think this is The General's doing?"

"'I'm not sure," Nox had her eyes glued to the floor. Boomer had made it clear back in that cave: things were over between them. Only, this was her first time with love. And she could never prepare herself for how much it would hurt like a bitch.

She could feel Lloyd's hand clasped around hers, a secure touch. A sign of sanctuary and hope between them once again.

"I may be able to restore everyone's immortality," Tobias said. "Although it may take time for my powers to develop again before I do. But with The General back to his usual ways, you may need it soon."

"Father," Josiah hissed under her breath. "I nearly lost you twice to that same power. Don't take this too far."

While Josiah and Tobias continued walking, Lloyd stopped Nox halfway down the next corridor, where they were alone. He backed her down until her back hit the wall, and he splayed both hands on with side of her head. His eyes raked her with fire. His finger coiled with a lock of her hair, which had now become undone from her ponytail. Then the smallest smile quipped at the side of his mouth. "Nox. How young are you?"

Nox swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

"How long are you willing to wait to commit yourself?"

Nox knew exactly what he was talking about. And it made her soul catch fire like it did to make her skin shiver pleasantly by just his look. "Lloyd. I'm 18 now. We still have three more years before we can make anything happen."

Lloyd leaned into the crook of her neck, chuckling. "Nox, I don't know what time you came from, but now, things are different. We can start now."

Nox blinked. _Now?_

Lloyd grinned. _Now._

 _But—how are we even going to go about doing this? We have no money for a church, rings, or a dress, or anything. We're fugitives._

 _We don't need any of that to be one._ Lloyd raised a hand to her face, his thumb softly caressed her cheekbone. _We just need each other. So what do you say? Ready to be a fiancée?_

Nox glanced up and smiled. "Yes."


	16. Epilogue

**3 Years Later**

Nox rolled over in the bed, Lloyd's arms around her. A sense of security and warmth radiated off him. Her stomach still churned pleasantly, and her heart beat wildly from last night. Smiling, she nuzzled her head against his bare chest. She couldn't get enough of him.

Lloyd stirred at the movement, a smile breaking across his face at the sight of Nox. "Morning, Angel."

Nox giggled. "Morning. And just because I gave you that faux name when I was seventeen, doesn't mean you have to call me that."

"Why not? Anyone could mistake you for one." He planted a kiss on her forehead.

The room was still dim. The sun had almost risen, a small touch of light glowing in the sky through the window, just above the horizon line. A faint trace of stars speckled the early morning sky.

The faintest sound of footsteps came from outside the door, but quickly faded as soon as they began.

The two of them watched the door for a moment before the tension eased, and they relaxed.

"We should get going." Nox sat upright in the bed, the sheets draped around her form.

Lloyd traced a hand up her arm, stopping just between her shoulder and neck, then descending down her bare back. "We don't need to. We've already told the team not to come in during the weekends."

Nox sighed, sliding back down into Lloyd's arms. "Lloyd, we've been trying for the past two years, and nothing's happened. Maybe it's not meant to be?"

Lloyd held her face, his thumb stroking her cheekbone. He planted a kiss on each eyelid, then sealing it with a kiss across the lips. "We don't have to give up too soon. It'll happen eventually. I promise."

Lloyd sized her waistline, then rolled over, until Nox lay above him. "Besides, we still have some more time." She could feel a violent impulse radiating from him.

Nox giggled, her hand travelling up the length of his torso, feeling the muscles tremble and tense. "Hmm… I think you should put some pants on first, don't you think?"

"Not a chance." Lloyd held the nape of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss.

A low buzz resounded from Lloyd's jeans, which lay sprawled on the floor. His cell.

They exchanged looks, then moaned in frustration. Lloyd picked up the phone and read the caller ID. It was Etrius.

While Lloyd hit answer, Nox quickly scrambled out of the bed, heading for the bathroom.

A few minutes passed.

"Yeah, sure." Lloyd said lazily.

"I'm not bothering you two, am I?" Etrius inquired over the line.

"What? No, of course not," Lloyd lied, to cover up. "We're just…" Lloyd's eyes moved to Nox's voluptuous figure in the bathroom mirror, through the doorway. "…Taking a break, that's all."

"It's been two years, Lloyd." Etrius sighed. "Even that crackpot Romanov said that it might not work. The two of you are immortal, after all."

Lloyd hesitated. "I know. We just… can't give up yet. Besides, a kid could survive with us. We haven't heard from The General in the past three years. Maybe he just… disappeared when we went back in time."

"Well, whatever happened, we need to keep our guards up. It was you and Nox's choice to have a kid."

"We know, and we're committed to keeping that kid safe," He was disrupted as Nox opened the bathroom door, approaching him with a smile. "Uhh— I got to go, Etrius. I'll see you at drills." And he hung up before Etrius could say anything else.

Nox reclined on his torso, and Lloyd pulled her closer, his hands caressing the small of her back. He rolled them over until he leaned over her. "Ready to try again?"

Nox giggled, her hands resting on his lithe shoulders. "Can't it wait until the baby is born?"

Lloyd opened his mouth to say something, and froze. Then it turned up into a smile.


End file.
